A driver and an attendant of an ambulance belonging to the Kenya Red Cross’ E-Plus are under probe for ferrying drunk teenagers to help them beat curfew rules on Thika Road.
The teenagers blew the cover for the crew after they took a video while in the ambulance and shared it online. Several Kenyans shared the video on social media, complaining of misuse of resources amid the fight against coronavirus pandemic.
E-Plus managing director Samuel Ng’ong’a said the ambulance was on April 17 deployed for purposes other than provision of pre-hospital services.
“The individuals carried in the ambulance were not in need of any pre-hospital services. This was a violation of our standards and protocols for service and the laws of Kenya,” he said.
He added they had taken disciplinary actions against the staff implicated in the incident and asked police to investigate them.
“We will collaborate with the authorities to work on this as a matter of urgency. A further review of our procedures will be undertaken to address any potential for misuse of ambulance services, which is critical to supporting our healthcare system, especially during such critical period,” he said.
In the video, there are five teenagers. It is however not clear where they were headed or came from. They are seen playing around with a bottle of an alcoholic drink.
There were claims that the ambulance crew was ordered to pick up the teenagers.
This is the second such incident of misuse of ambulance by Kenyans to beat the curfew rules.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe had said some Kenyans had called an ambulance to take them to a party. He said the incident occurred on April 7, after the group feigned sickness in order to secure the services of an ambulance, which falls under the category of essential services vehicles.
“You take an ambulance under the guise of sickness to go and hang out,” he lamented.
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