The Ministry of Health (MoH), in collaboration with a Safaricom PLC-led consortium, will distribute 70,000 mobile tablets to healthcare workers as part of the Social Health Authority (SHA) initiative.
This effort aims to equip healthcare workers under Universal Health Coverage (UHC) with the essential tools needed to efficiently serve Kenyans. Additionally, the ministry plans to provide 5,000 laptops to further support the public healthcare workforce.
“To support the implementation of the UHC blueprint, the Ministry of Health has awarded a contract for the Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System (IHTS System) to a consortium led by Safaricom PLC. This consortium includes global patient care digitization firm Apeiro Limited (Apeiro Digital) and enterprise technology firm Konvergenz Network Solutions Limited (KNS),” the Ministry stated.
The government will also ensure that healthcare workers across the country receive reliable internet connectivity and power backup systems, facilitated by the Safaricom-led consortium. This partnership will establish a locally hosted health cloud to securely store and manage patient data in compliance with Kenyan data protection laws.
“The locally hosted health cloud will securely store and manage patient data in accordance with all applicable Kenyan data protection laws. AI and Machine Learning tools will support proactive health management and clinical decision-making,” the Ministry of Health noted.
The Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System (IHTS) will incorporate key components such as the National Health Information Exchange (HIE), which will unify patient records across all levels of care.
“For too long, our healthcare system has been fragmented, with patient histories scattered across different facilities. This fragmentation has caused delays in diagnosis, inappropriate treatments, and even the denial of life-saving care,” the ministry stated.
Additionally, the IHTS will include the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) for all public health facilities. This system will be implemented in collaboration with County Governments, digitizing the operations of public health facilities and enabling doctors and healthcare professionals to access patient records instantly.
Furthermore, the consortium will manage the health products supply chain management system. The ministry explained that digitizing this supply chain will enhance visibility of both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products across the healthcare system.
This initiative will ensure that hospitals remain stocked with the necessary medicines and supplies, significantly reduce stockouts, and help prevent unnecessary deaths due to a lack of essential medications.
Finally, the system will encompass the Health Insurance Platform (HIP), which will enable real-time claim authentication, fraud prevention, and automation of all Social Health Authority activities.
