Kenya's Largest County Trains 25 Healthcare Workers in Life-Saving Emergency Techniques
Kakuma, 22 March 2026
Turkana County has completed intensive WHO emergency care training for 25 frontline healthcare providers, targeting Kenya’s second-largest region spanning 77,000 square kilometres. The programme addresses critical gaps in emergency response capabilities across hospitals serving both local communities and refugee populations in Kakuma and Kalobeyei settlements.
Training Programme Details and Objectives
The five-day WHO Basic Emergency Care (BEC) Course concluded on 21 March 2026, having trained 25 first-contact patient management providers including doctors, clinical officers, nurses, midwives, and ambulance staff [1]. The training targeted personnel from Level 3B, 4 and 5 hospitals across Turkana County, including Lodwar County Referral Hospital, Kakuma Sub-County Hospital, Kakuma Mission Hospital, and facilities supported by Kenya Red Cross Society, International Rescue Committee, and AIC Health Ministries [1]. The programme focused on building competencies in systematic assessment and management of emergency conditions, including trauma, breathing difficulties, shock, and altered mental status within resource-constrained settings [1].
Strategic Partnership and Implementation
The collaboration between Turkana County Government and Malteser International reflects the broader humanitarian commitment of international organisations in the region [1]. This partnership coincides with recent diplomatic engagement, as the Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, visited humanitarian projects supported by the Order in Kakuma on 25 February 2026 [2]. According to John Ng’asike, Medical Officer of Health in Turkana West, the partnership demonstrates ‘a shared commitment to building a resilient health system capable of managing time-sensitive conditions such as trauma, shock, respiratory distress, and altered mental status’ [1].
Expected Outcomes and Skills Development
The WHO BEC Course equipped healthcare providers with standardised, practical skills for early recognition, rapid assessment, and life-saving interventions [1]. The programme aims to achieve enhanced clinical competencies of healthcare providers, strengthened emergency referral systems and coordination, improved quality and timeliness of care, and ultimately reduced preventable deaths and complications [1]. As Ng’asike emphasised, ‘A prepared health system saves lives. Strengthening emergency care from the community to the hospital, is one of the most effective ways to reduce preventable deaths in Turkana’ [1].
Future Training Expansion Plans
From the 25 healthcare workers who completed the initial training, 10 have been selected to proceed as Trainers of Trainers (ToT) to cascade the skills further throughout the county [1]. These selected participants will undergo a two-day ToT training programme that will grant them BEC Provisional Trainer status, providing them with lecturing experience and skills in facilitating case scenarios and simulation exercises [1]. This cascading approach ensures sustainable knowledge transfer and expanded emergency care capabilities across Turkana County’s extensive healthcare network serving both local communities and refugee populations in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei settlements [1].