Photo: Kenya Launches Ambulance Service For Security Forces

Kenya has launched its first national air ambulance service to evacuate security forces wounded in battle. President Uhuru Kenyatta said the service was vital to ensure they received swift treatment.

The initiative is likely to boost the morale of security personnel facing multiple threats, a BBC reporter says.

Some soldiers and policemen have bled to death or have died of dehydration in remote areas of Kenya because of long delays in getting them to hospital. The government has now reached a deal with the Red Cross and private firm AMREF Flying Doctors to despatch helicopters and vehicles as soon as distress calls are received.

The new evacuation service will also be offered to civil servants, especially those who work in the security field in rural areas with few medical facilities.