KeNHA, St. John’s Ambulance set to roll out 19 first aid posts, 4 trauma centers to boost highway emergency response

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), in partnership with St. John’s Ambulance, will establish 19 mobile first aid posts and four trauma centers along major highways to boost emergency response and save lives in road crash hotspots.

The move follows a meeting between the two institutions, which agreed that the “golden hour” the first 60 minutes after a crash, is critical for survival if victims receive immediate medical attention.

The facilities will be built on road reserves in identified blackspots and will provide rapid first aid and stabilization before victims are transferred to hospitals.

To strengthen the initiative, KeNHA and St. John’s also agreed to train boda boda riders and traffic police officers in first aid skills, enabling them to act as first responders at accident scenes.

Currently, St. John’s has 304 trained boda boda responders in areas such as Mukuru kwa Reuben, Pipeline, and Kibera.

A memorandum of understanding will be signed to guide the partnership, signaling a long-term plan to reduce fatalities and improve road safety.

St. John’s noted that quicker response times could prevent thousands of deaths every year. “The new initiative seeks to turn the tide by ensuring victims are not left helpless on highways,” the organization posted on X.