Ambulex Solutions, an emergency response and medical evacuation company is rooting for public-private sector partnerships as the key to effective medical emergency services.
The partnership, the firm notes, will help address gaps in ambulance services and emergency healthcare access witnessed in a number of counties.
The firm has already commenced negotiations with county governments in the Nyanza and Western regions as part of efforts to strengthen emergency response systems, especially in underserved areas where ambulance shortages and delayed evacuations remain a challenge.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement, Boniface Owuor, the Public Sector Partnership Skilling Lead at Ambulex Solutions, said the company is focusing on collaborations that can strengthen emergency healthcare services at the grassroots level.
Owuor said the firm is currently meeting county officials across the Nyanza and Western regions to explain its emergency response model and explore possible partnerships aimed at improving ambulance accessibility and response times.
“We are here in Nyanza and Western regions to meet county leadership and help them understand what we are offering in terms of emergency healthcare to our communities,” he said.
Timely emergency care
Owuor noted that many communities still struggle to access timely emergency medical evacuation services, especially in remote areas where county resources remain stretched.
Owuor added that the company is seeking to work alongside county governments and other stakeholders to improve coordination of emergency healthcare services and expand access to life-saving support for residents.
According to Rigan Olale, who oversees daily operations at the company, many counties continue to struggle with inadequate ambulance coverage despite efforts made by devolved governments over the years.
“We have to appreciate that counties have put in a lot of effort to ensure citizens at least have access to ambulance services, but gaps are still there,” he said.
According to Olale, some counties operate with only a few ambulances despite covering several sub-counties, making it difficult to respond to emergencies in time.
He noted that while most county ambulances are often used for hospital-to-hospital transfers, home-to-hospital emergency evacuations remain limited.
‘We have to appreciate that counties have put in a lot of effort to ensure citizens at least have access to ambulance services, but gaps are still there’- rigan olale
Olale attributed this to inadequate resources, operational costs and the low number of responders available in many counties.
“Some counties have as little as four ambulances serving eight or even ten sub-counties. That means one ambulance serving two sub-counties, which is not sufficient,” he said.
Olale also pointed to fuel costs and misuse of ambulance services as some of the challenges affecting emergency response systems in the country. He said the company uses technology-based tracking systems to monitor ambulance operations, fuel consumption and dispatches.
“We only dispatch ambulances where there are genuine emergencies. The aim is to ensure the resources available are used efficiently,” he said.
He also noted that they currently have a network of about 450 ambulances across the country linked through a digital system that allows users to request services through smartphones or USSD mobile phone services.
He also revealed that they are positioning themselves as a technology-driven emergency response provider capable of complementing county health systems rather than replacing them.
“We are also promoting a subscription-based emergency evacuation model where members can access one ambulance response annually after paying a yearly fee of Sh200.” He said.
He further argued that such partnerships could help reduce the financial burden counties face in running ambulance services, particularly at a time when many devolved units are struggling with budget deficits in the health sector.
