Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of emergency medical services in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Introduction: Emergency medical services (EMS) are vital for providing immediate medical or trauma care to patients and stabilizing them for transportation to hospitals. Following the confirmation of the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Kenya on March 13th, 2020, the government announced several measures to curb its spread, including movement restrictions and the use of ambulance services for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to determine the utilization of EMS in Kenya the year before and one year into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This retrospective study collected data on all calls received from two dispatch centers in Nairobi City County from March 2019 to February 2021, encompassing the period both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected was analyzed based on the number of calls, sex, call timing and call type.

Results: The two dispatch centers received 3,477 calls during the study period. The total number of calls made during the first year of the pandemic was 1,376, compared to 2,014 the year before, a decrease of 31.7%. The proportion of trauma-related calls increased from 15% (293/2014) to 22% (303/1376) while the proportion of nighttime calls increased from 20% (410/2014) to 35% (479/1376) during the pandemic.

Conclusion: EMS utilization decreased during the pandemic, and trauma calls increased. While most calls were made during the day, there was a notable increase in calls made during night shifts.