Transforming emergency care in Kenya

PICTURED: The Newly renovated Emergency Department entrance at Bungoma County Referral Hospital.

A Rotary Club of Balwyn Centenary Grant has delivered a lifesaving emergency department in Bungoma County, Kenya.

When Bungoma County Referral Hospital in western Kenya reopened its Emergency Department (ED) in October 2024 after a major renovation, it marked the beginning of a healthcare transformation. Today, more than a year later, the impact is undeniable: shorter waiting times, skilled staff, better patient outcomes, and a model ED now inspiring similar reforms across Kenya.

This transformation was made possible through the Rotary Club of Balwyn, Vic, Centenary Grant, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Taree, NSW, Rotary Club of Gloucester, NSW, the DAK Foundation, the County Government of Bungoma and the Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation (EMKF). Guided by EMKF’s proven Adopt-an-ED model, the project addressed the most urgent needs: infrastructure, equipment and workforce capacity building.

A project with measurable, life-changing results

The one-year evaluation of the Bungoma ED renovation highlights powerful achievements:

• 25 per cent increase in daily patient volume
• 14.2 per cent increase in annual ED visits
• Waiting times reduced by more than half, with triage now under 15 minutes
• 60+ emergency staff trained in triage, Electrocardiograph (ECG) interpretation, TECC training and point-of-care ultrasound
• Standardised emergency care protocols strengthened through EMKF’s digital Casualty App (rated 5/5 by staff)
• Improved clinical quality, smoother patient flow and better confidence among healthcare workers

New infrastructure – including a redesigned triage bay, modern workstations, piped oxygen and new resuscitation areas – illustrates how the ED has been reborn into a functional, patient-centred space.

“There has been an increased number of clients from neighbouring counties as a result of the improved conditions of the ED,” says County Champion Jackline Sitati.

“Healthcare workers now have confidence in managing critical patients because they have been trained in essential emergency care courses and can continuously monitor patients with the donated equipment,” adds Clinical Officer Selly Naibei.

Building skills that save lives

Training was a cornerstone of the project. Hands-on emergency simulations, like chest-tube insertion training, were provided and designed to build real-world competency.

With an average post-training score of 75 per cent, clinicians are demonstrating both strong knowledge retention and improved clinical decision making.

The gains are sustainable, with the ED team using EMKF’s Casualty App weekly for guideline support, ensuring real-time evidence-based care.

A model for national replication

The report’s conclusion confirms that Bungoma’s Emergency Department now stands as a model ED for Kenya, aligned with national guidelines and demonstrating effective resource use, measurable improvements in care, enhanced community trust and a sustainable pathway to world-class emergency services.

The success of this project is already shaping county-level decision making and inspiring similar emergency department upgrades across Kenya.

How your Rotary club can save lives in Kenya

Fifty-seven people die in Kenya every hour. The country has 47 County Referral Hospitals, yet many still lack functional emergency departments. Some operate out of repurposed rooms without monitors, oxygen ports or resuscitation beds. Many healthcare workers have never received emergency care training.

EMKF has already transformed seven of these hospitals, but dozens more urgently need help.

For US$105,000, a Rotary club – or a group of clubs – can adopt an emergency department and deliver a fully renovated, functional emergency department; a trained, confident emergency care team; and a replicable model that strengthens Kenya’s entire emergency care system ‘United for Good’, we could transform emergency care for millions of Kenyans facing trauma, obstetric emergencies, strokes, heart attacks and critical illness.

To adopt an emergency department, collaborate or receive a hospital match, contact Dr Grace Maano, of the Rotary Club of Taree, via +61 416 745 156 or gmaano@gmail.com or Dr Benjamin Wachira, of the Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation via +254 728 593 360 or wachira@emkfoundation.org

To watch the Bungoma County Referral Hospital ED’s transformation unfold, visit youtu.be/4LS6nugqAdQ?si=HJHDfw9S5csywSib