Kiambu County has authorised its doctors, nurses, and health practitioners to incorporate Artificial intelligence (AI) in treating patients in their hospitals.
This announcement was made on Monday following a skills enhancement training session in collaboration with the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA)
The training focused on the introduction of AI-driven clinical decision support systems, tailored to address Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the County.
Kiambu County's CECM for Health Services Dr Elias Maina highlighted the dire need to embrace AI as it will help health professionals do more with limited resources.
“We plan to subject our health practitioners to more training intended to improve patient outcomes through precise diagnosis, tailored treatments, and informed decision-making through AI-driven clinical decision support systems tailored to address Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the County,” he said
Once implemented, the medical practitioners will be able to also utilise AI in administrative procedures allowing them to dedicate more of their limited resources to patient care matters.
Dr Maina further noted that although a lot needed to be done, the successful integration of AI in the County had the potential to be embraced countrywide as well.
“There is still a lot that is needed to be done for the technology to be fully embraced not only in Kiambu County but in the country at large,” he stated.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SFA Prof. Tom Kariuki echoed these remarks noting that AI had the potential to revolutionise medical care not just in Kenya but in Africa at large.
"AI has the potential to revolutionize global and digital health in Africa. By investing in AI-led innovations, SFA Foundation is empowering Africa’s researchers and innovators to lead the way in addressing the healthcare challenges that have long affected our communities," he said.
"This initiative marks a pivotal moment in African-led digital innovations, allowing us to harness AI’s transformative power for the benefit of all Africans and beyond."
To achieve this, SFA is currently holding discussions to escalate the training to all the other counties, although concerns remain about the lack of building blocks essential to delivering sustainable AI in Kenya’s healthcare systems.
