EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE SYSTEM IN KENYA

An Emergency Medical Response System(s) allows someone to seek emergency medical

attention on short notice especially in unpredicted occurrences. Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) in Kenya are in high demand for many reasons. In recent years, Kenyans
have been victims of many injuries related to flash floods, infectious disease outbreaks,
building collapses and terrorism. However Kenya's EMS remains largely un-
fragmented and lacks proper standards and coordination. It is left to individual
organizations to develop and implement their own systems. These organizations
include AMREF and Kenya Red Cross. The lack of proper EMS has been a significant
contributor to the morbidity and mortality in Kenya.

Article 43(2) of the Constitution gives every citizen the right to emergency medical care.
The wording of this article clearly indicates that the right should be attained
immediately. However to date there is no statutory law that has been enacted to ensure
this right is attained. In the case of Parmanand Katara v. Union of India, the Supreme
Court of India developed this right further when it observed that: Every injured citizen
brought for medical treatment should instantaneously be given medical aid to preserve
life. Put differently, the effort to save the life of a person should be the top priority not
only of the medical professional but even of the police or any other citizen who happens
to be connected with that matter or who happens to notice such an incident or a
situation.

The World Health Organization’s “Pre-hospital Trauma Care Systems” document

provides guidelines for the development of an EMS system in countries where there is
none, or where the current one is ineffective and underdeveloped. The document
breaks down the essential pieces of lifesaving pre-hospital treatment that can be
implemented with good buy-in from the key stakeholders, but at little cost compared to
the expensive ambulances and medical equipment boasted by many developed
countries. The guidelines identify essential skills, equipment, and supplies that will
allow trained lay people as well as health care providers to identify emergencies, and to
stabilize and transfer patients to appropriate facilities. Many of the interventions
described include training lay people, taxi drivers, and community leaders in basic first
aid and basic life support. Additionally, the document gives guidelines describing an
efficient and sustainable approach to trauma care that will increase the likelihood of
patients reaching the hospital alive. Many of these interventions include basic training
on the safe way to handle trauma patients as well as immediate life or limb saving
interventions. Lastly, the document provides guidelines to governments and
policymakers regarding how to administer and fund an EMS program, incorporate EMS
into existing systems of care, and implement quality surveillance and data management
that can guide future development.