Every day in Kenya, people experience life-threatening emergencies such as road traffic injuries, strokes, severe infections, and pregnancy complications. In these moments, survival often depends on time. Without a toll-free emergency access number, e.g. 911 or reliable public ambulance services, patients must find their own way to emergency medical care. This raises a critical question:

How far is the nearest public emergency department?

A recent geospatial analysis of access to public Emergency Departments in Kenya by EMKF found that 93.7% of the population lives within one hour of a public emergency department, while 98.2% can reach one within two hours.

At first glance, access appears strong. But this masks important gaps. In several counties, far fewer people can reach emergency medical care within the critical “golden hour,” with access significantly affected by distance, terrain, and infrastructure.

Access Is Not Enough

Reaching a hospital is only part of the journey. Lives are not saved simply because a hospital exists. Many public healthcare facilities still lack dedicated emergency departments and face gaps in emergency medical care training, equipment, and coordination. Distance is only one barrier. Readiness is the other.

This study highlights access to public hospitals with limited emergency care capacity — and where emergency departments must be strengthened to save lives. At EMKF, we are working with governments to:

1. Strengthen public ambulance services and centralised dispatch systems
2. Upgrade these public emergency departments to meet defined standards
3. Train frontline healthcare providers and community health workers in emergency medical care

Because the real question is not how far the hospital is, but whether it is ready when the patient arrives.

Hospitals don’t save lives. Prepared emergency departments do.