Kericho health facilities to be digitized
Dominic Cheres and Kibe Mburu (KNA)
The government will digitize all government public hospitals in six counties starting next week in Kericho County.
This will be done under phase two of the programme to ensure that all medical records and services are synchronized for easier accessibility from any health facility countrywide.
Speaking while assessing the state of health services in the country, Health Cabinet Secretary Mr. Aden Duale said the Digital Health Authority would deliver gadgets and tablets and conduct training for staff in Kericho in readiness for the launch of the digitization exercise.
Digitization of health facilities has been ongoing with the Ministry of Health accelerating digital transformation to improve efficiency and access to healthcare.
The CS commended Kericho County Government for efforts to register a total of 390,000 residents to Social Health Authority (SHA) Insurance Scheme making it in position eight out of 10 best performing Counties in registration of residents to SHA.
Duale disclosed that from October 2024 to April 2025, a total of Sh165 million has been disbursed to Kericho County against Sh183 million. He explained that on every 14th day of the month, the government disburses funds to SHA.
The CS enumerated the successes of SHA against NHIF saying registration to SHA is instant unlike NHIF which took a long time for registration to go through, adding that patients get instant registration from health facilities and then access the services immediately.
The Health CS explained that SHA pays Sh28,000 for patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) unlike NHIF used to pay only Sh4,000 per bed, adding that for cancer treatment, SHA pays Sh550,000 per patient, while primary healthcare at dispensaries, health centers and sub-county hospitals is free for all patients.
“Only 20 per cent of Kenyans can afford to pay for medical insurance cover, the remaining 80 per cent cannot afford medical insurance and that is why Taifa Care brings equality,” Duale said.
He assured healthcare workers that the government would consider them for a proper and efficient medical insurance cover under SHA, saying they play a critical role in the implementation of Universal Healthcare, while offering essential services of saving lives of Kenyans.
He put on notice health workers who are negligent in their work, warning that they risk their practicing licenses which could be withdrawn should high mortality rates be reported in maternity wards in government facilities.
He cited an example of one of the counties which reported high cases of deaths saying after sending a team of medical regulators, the cases came down to zero.
“It is unacceptable, immoral and inhumane for healthy mothers seeking maternity services to die in the process of delivery due to many issues such as negligence,” Duale noted.
The CS, who issued a land title deed for 25 acres of the Kericho County Referral Hospital to Governor Dr. Eric Mutai also noted that the nine acres of the land that had been grabbed by unscrupulous individual would be reverted to the hospital for its use.
END