First Lady lauds Saint John’s motorcycle ambulances
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has welcomed the Saint John’s motorcycle ambulance project to boost maternal health in areas without adequate infrastructure.
Mrs. Kenyatta said the Saint John’s project complements her ‘Beyond Zero’ campaign that is aimed at eradicating maternal and child deaths in the country.
The ambulances, launched last year, are designed to house the rider, a paramedic and a patient in a separate car thus improving access to maternal health care in remote rural areas.
“I am encouraged that St. John has made safe pregnancy one of its top priorities especially your noble aim to cut down the rising maternal deaths through special motorcycle ambulances,” the First Lady said.
She spoke on Sunday during the 87th annual St. John’s Inspection Parade at KICC, Nairobi. The occasion is used to take stock of the achievements that St. John has made in the past year.
The First Lady also commended St. John Ambulance for establishing 18 rescue centers at notorious accident black spots across the country to offer emergency medical care to accident victims.
“Stocked with life support equipment and firefighting gears, the centers will improve the county’s emergency referrals and disaster response,” she said. “This initiative will also see the number of deaths as a result of delayed ambulance response, or poor handling at accident scenes, drop drastically”.
CAPACITY BUILDING
The First Lady called on Kenyans to adhere to traffic rules and be courteous to other road users in order to prevent road accidents on the roads.
She also stressed the need for capacity building among Kenyans to offer prompt and appropriate first aid at times of emergency.
The First Lady acknowledged St. John’s complementary roles in offering first aid and health services, which have become even more necessary now that the country faced terror and other calamities.
The First Lady thanked corporates and individuals who have supported St. John’s lifesaving charitable missions and encouraged other companies and organizations to follow suit.
St Johns Ambulance Chief Commander Eliakim Masale said the organization is undergoing restructuring to conform to the country’s constitutional dispensation.
Mr. Masale appealed to retired medical workers to consider joining St John’s volunteering service to provide first aids at the village levels.
Others who spoke were the Health CS James Macharia and the Prior of St John Kenya Marsden Madoka.