New Mobile Platform Offers Integrated Ambulance Dispatch Service in Addis Ababa

A new mobile platform is attempting to solve one of Addis Ababa’s most stubborn health care challenges: the inability of many residents to access emergency medical care quickly.

Last week, technology firm E-Tech S.C. and emergency medicine company TirtaMed PLC unveiled Le Ambulance, a centralized system that connects users to ambulance services and gives access to a dispatch center through the short code 9117. The platform tracks nearby medical providers, assigns trained professionals for first response, provides guidance until assistance arrives, and directs ambulance drivers along optimal routes using GPS tracking and in coordination with registered healthcare providers.

The goal, according to its founders, is to close a deadly gap.

“Too many people requiring emergency care in the capital spend over an hour before receiving first aid,” said Yonas Abebe (M.D), general manager of TirtaMed. “Too often, the absence of timely care leads to death after accidents.”

TirtaMed, founded eight years ago by five medical professionals, has long worked on emergency health education, consultation, and research. Now, Yonas said, the company is incorporating system-level solutions while it continues to provide its other services. Nearly 90% of private ambulance providers in the city have already registered on the platform, with expansion to other cities in the pipeline. 

“We want residents to immediately think of Le Ambulance when they require emergency assistance,” he told Shega.

The system took two years to develop. E-Tech, which has built software and infrastructure for state and private institutions over the past decade, was tasked with tailoring the platform to meet regulatory and technical requirements. Only providers that comply with Ministry of Health standards are allowed to register. Service operators receive a digital dashboard to track their ambulances and monitor performance.

The need for such a service is clear. Research on Addis Ababa’s emergency care system shows most patients arrive at hospitals only after the “golden hour,” the critical window when treatment is most effective. One study found that nearly half of the city’s residents could not name a single ambulance provider, often resorting to private cars or taxis during emergencies.

Officials hope the platform can contribute to changing the fatal dynamics.

“This app is critical to expanding access to emergency health care,” said Sirak Gugsa, a representative of the Health Ministry. He urged other private players to continue innovating. 

“We will continue to support similar initiatives,” he said during the launch ceremony at Capital Hotel and Spa.