By Allan Kania
In what started as an auspicious day for the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in Kenya took a stall after the Chief guest, Cabinet secretary of the Ministry of Health Hon. Sicily Kariuki failed to show up.
The meeting which was organized by the Ministry of Health Division of Health Emergencies
Disaster Risk Management and was slated to be held on 17th September 2018 at the Radisson Blu Hotel was later moved to the Kenyatta National Hospital grounds.
The main agenda was set to see the launch of the emergency care policy 2018-2030. Stakeholders from various medical outfits showed to display their tact and ensure safety
first as is their obligation. They were also to address the corporation in accessing the ICU beds at Kenya’s largest referral Hospital.
Big Day
The paramedics who say they have been operating in Kenya but not officially recognized by the State said they were happy that they had finally managed to get the governments attention.
In attendance was the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross (KRC) and the UN person of the Year, Abbas Gullet, Dr. Robert Bett, Public Health Manager, Emergency Health among other major stakeholders.
The medical teams displayed through re-enactments how they respond to distress
calls from different spheres of the country. There have been concerns about regulation for operating ambulances and this policy launch was set to address that.
The ambulances on display were fully equipped and the emergency personnel stressed that they were more than capable of responding and offering medical assistance anywhere in the country at any time.
“No show”
The meeting which was set to begin at 8:30 AM – 10-30 AM would not begin as there was no communication from the Cabinet Secretary’s office. This would see stakeholders wait until late hours in the afternoon.
Activities disrupted and eventually come to a standstill leaving many stranded and
even major parties exiting the Kenyatta National Hospital grounds.
