The Ministry of Health is set to distribute tablets and computers to all healthcare workers and facilities in the country to ensure the seamless rollout of the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Speaking in Samburu on Saturday, June 14, the Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale claimed that the 74,000 devices will be critical in ensuring that the healthcare workers deliver quality and timely healthcare efficiently.
Duale further stated that the ministry is in the process of rolling out a trace and track system that will monitor the movement of medicines from manufacturers to healthcare facilities to boost transparency in the country's healthcare ecosystem.
"Further, the CS announced the introduction of a national track-and-trace system to monitor the movement of medicines from manufacturer to patient, boosting transparency and accountability across the supply chain," the ministry stated.
"He confirmed that over 74,000 digital devices will be distributed to public health facilities nationwide to support more efficient, data-driven service delivery," the ministry stated.
In a statement on Thursday, April 24, Duale claimed that in addition to providing digital devices and reliable connectivity to healthcare workers, the ministry will also integrate advanced tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning in healthcare facilities to improve health management and clinical decisions.
The Health CS further claimed that the government is also in the process of erecting a locally hosted sovereign health cloud to securely store and manage patient data in these facilities.
It will further leverage the Digital Health System to intensify its crackdown on unqualified healthcare practitioners and facilities in a bid to safeguard the integrity of the country's healthcare, according to Duale.
"He highlighted intensified efforts to crack down on unqualified health practitioners and shut down non-compliant facilities to safeguard the integrity of the health system," it stated.
The healthcare boss asserted that improving the technological capacity of the country's healthcare facilities will be critical in rolling out the SHA and propelling it towards the Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC).
"The ongoing digital transformation in the Health Sector is a result of the mandate bestowed upon the Ministry of Health under the Health Act of 2017, specifically sections 104 and 105 on the digitisation of the healthcare sector," the statement read.
"CS Duale urged CHPs to actively promote SHA and SHIF registration, emphasising their vital role in ensuring every Kenyan, regardless of age or income, can access quality healthcare," the ministry stated.
