Ethiopia's private ambulance service provider eyes business expansion amid COVID-19

Kibret Abebe, founder and owner of Tebita Ambulance Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Service in Ethiopia, speaks during an interview in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Oct. 13, 2020. Kibret Abebe is seeking to expand his company's business as he sees an opportunity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kibret Abebe, founder and owner of Tebita Ambulance Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Service in Ethiopia, is seeking to expand his company's business as he sees an opportunity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tebita Ambulance Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Service is a social enterprise that developed the first private ambulance service in the East African nation more than a decade ago.

"In my opinion, COVID-19 is a very good opportunity. It may compromise some of our business activity, but we're hoping that in the near future things will be opened up and in the presence of COVID-19, even our organization may grow because we're turning threat to opportunity," Abebe told Xinhua.

Abebe has been playing his part in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by partnering with the Ethiopian government to make available the services of his firm's state-of-the-art ambulances in the anti-COVID-19 fight.

"For the last four months, we're very closely working with the government saving a lot of lives, so we're using this as a springboard to have a sort of concrete private-public partnership," Abebe said.

Abebe says he still has plans to open up a modern trauma medical center and air ambulance services to deal with the modern health challenges present in Ethiopia.

Ilham Dararo, an Emergency Medical Technician working at the company, says they are now more prepared and know how to do more regarding their role in fighting against COVID-19.

Dararo says she has plans to use her successful anti-COVID-19 experience to teach the general public on safety measures against the pandemic.

"I'm thinking maybe we can expand this service and teach other people what to do not just in regards to COVID-19, but also in first aid and other emergency situations," Dararo told Xinhua.

Ethiopia has as of Wednesday morning confirmed 85,718 COVID-19 cases and 1,305 COVID-19 related deaths. The East African country confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 13.