President William Ruto has officially launched the SHA Emergency Medical Service (EMS), introducing a nationwide ambulance dispatch system anchored on a single emergency number, 922, in what the government says is a major step towards guaranteeing timely emergency healthcare for all Kenyans.
The service, launched on Wednesday during the Launch of the SHA 922 Emergency Service in Nairobi county, is designed to coordinate ambulance dispatch, emergency referrals and treatment through a centralised National Ambulance Dispatch Centre.
Ruto said the new system is intended to ensure that no Kenyan is denied lifesaving emergency care because of their financial status, location or inability to immediately prove insurance cover.
"For too long, the fate of a Kenyan facing a medical emergency has depended on the money in their pocket, where they happen to live and who they happen to know. Today, we change that permanently," Ruto said.
Under the new system, Kenyans requiring emergency medical assistance will dial 922, a toll-free number accessible across all mobile networks, even without airtime.
Once a call is received, trained emergency dispatchers will remain in contact with the caller while identifying the nearest available ambulance and directing it to the scene. The digital dispatch system will also determine the most appropriate health facility capable of treating the patient's condition instead of simply transporting them to the nearest hospital.
"The objective is not simply to take the patient to the closest hospital, but to take them to the facility best suited to save their life," the President said.
Ruto announced that ambulance evacuation and the first 24 hours of emergency treatment will be financed through the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund under SHA.
He said the emergency benefit will apply to every Kenyan, including those who are not registered under SHA or whose contributions are not up to date.
"There will be no negotiations, no guarantees and no relatives running around looking for money. In an emergency, the first duty is to save life," he said.
The President directed all health facilities contracted by SHA to provide emergency treatment immediately without demanding payment or delaying care while verifying insurance eligibility.
He described emergency healthcare as an essential public service protected by both the Constitution and the government's ongoing health reforms.
The launch of the emergency medical service marks another milestone in the government's broader Universal Health Coverage programme.
According to Ruto, 32.2 million Kenyans have so far registered under SHA, while eight million have already received healthcare services through the scheme.
He added that the government has trained and deployed 107,000 community health promoters to strengthen preventive healthcare, while the Primary Healthcare Fund has so far disbursed Sh23.3 billion to contracted health facilities.
The President also said thousands of Kenyans have benefited from specialised treatment under SHA, including cancer treatment and dialysis, through the government's Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund.
Ruto acknowledged the legal and political challenges that accompanied the implementation of the health reforms, saying the launch of the emergency medical service represents the final phase of the transformation.
He thanked the Ministry of Health, the Social Health Authority, county governments and healthcare workers for supporting the rollout of the programme.
The government said the new emergency medical service is expected to significantly improve response times during medical emergencies while ensuring patients receive prompt treatment regardless of their financial circumstances.
