Thesis:

Assessment of health facilities’ level of preparedness in handling students’ medical emergencies; a study of public universities in, central Kenya

A medical emergency is a sudden injury or serious illness that if not treated right away could cause death or serious harm to the patient. Many factors can cause or lead to an emergency, including an accident, a medical event, trauma, a natural disaster, or an act of violence. These emergencies are likely to happen in learning institution just as they can happen in other places. The purpose of this study was to assess the university’s health facility level of preparedness in handling students’ medical emergencies among public universities in Central Kenya. The study was guided by the following objectives; to assess the types of medical emergencies encountered in health facilities, to evaluate the healthcare management factors on the medical emergency preparedness, determine level of knowledge on medical emergency preparedness among students and to explore the influence of level of medical emergency preparedness in handling emergencies in health facilities of public universities in Central Kenya. The research employed descriptive cross-sectional research design. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select three universities from the seven public universities in Central Kenya. From the three sampled universities, stratified random sampling technique was employed to get a sample size arrived at by adopting Cochran (1963) formulae. Data collection was conducted by administering a questionnaire to the university students and an interview guide to the University top management and Key Health Facility Staff. Validity of the questionnaire was sort from the researcher’s supervisor. Quantitative data was analyzed using mean, frequencies and percentages and presented in tables and pie chart while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of the research, conducted to assess the health facilities’ level of preparedness in handling students’ medical emergencies, reveal that 20.1% of the students, equivalent to 79 individuals, have experienced a medical emergency. In contrast, a significant majority of 79.1%, or 289 students, have not faced such situations. Medical emergencies are life threatening if handled after the lapse of the golden hour and may results in preventable health complications or death hence the study sought to assess the university’s health facility level of preparedness in handling medical emergencies among public universities. In conclusion, the assessment of medical emergencies in public universities in Central Kenya reveals a range of encountered emergencies, underscoring the critical need for robust emergency preparedness in these institutions. Public universities should prioritize educating students on the content and procedures outlined in the emergency operation plans. This includes regular dissemination of information, training sessions, and workshops to ensure students are familiar with emergency response protocols and their roles during emergencies. Additionally, adequate staffing, regular training of key health facility staff and consistent inventory management is essential for enhancing the ability of university health facilities to manage medical emergencies efficiently thus improving the overall health care provision