TEBITA Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Service was founded in 2008 to provide ambulance and emergency medical services in Ethiopia. The first private-sector emergency medical services company in Ethiopia, TEBITA was founded by Kibret Abebe, a licensed nurse anesthetist with more than 25 years of experience in health care in Ethiopia.
Kibret grew up in Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa and was inspired by his father, “ a strong soldier who struggled to bring up his 12 children” to make a contribution. “Ethiopia was on the top in the global list of road traffic injuries,” he explains. “I called the company Tebita which means a ‘drop’ because I had asked myself what my drop of contribution could be to the sector in which I was so well versed,” he explains.
“At the time I was working at the biggest teaching and referral Hospital In Addis Ababa, the Black Lion Hospital,” says Kibret. “While working there as an anesthetist nurse I was handling a number of casualties caused by road traffic injuries. This led me to start the first private ambulance service system in Ethiopia.”
TEBITA provides a 24-hour ambulance service in Addis Ababa, remote medical assistance to multinational companies operating in Ethiopia and ground evacuation services throughout the country. The company is licensed by the Addis Ababa Health Bureau to provide emergency pre-hospital medical services and certified first aid and health safety training. In 2015, Kibret formed the East Africa Emergency Services, LTD in Seychelles with investors from the United States as a partner organisation to increase the capacity of TEBITA.
The company also serves as the country representative to international health insurance companies including Africa Assist, AMREF, Flying doctors and SOS International.
Social entrepreneurs are known for finding solutions for society’s problems. What is the problem that you are addressing and what is your solution?
The problem we are addressing is EMSS ( Emergency Medical Service System). Our solution is quality, affordable and accessible emergency medical services for all.
What do you see as the benefit of your Catalyst 2030 membership?
Networking is one of the most important tools to access new ways of doing things, collaborationg with those social entrepreneurs with doing good, doing well.
Are you collaborating with any other Catalyst 2030 members?
Not yet.
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