By J, KNA
A digital revolution has been quietly transforming health care service delivery in Nakuru County, marking a significant leap towards efficiency and transparency.
This is according to County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Services Ms Roselyn Mungai who said the devolved unit’s administration has embraced cutting edge digital systems in all its operations in the health sector to harness technology for better governance.
“From electronic health records to automated appointment scheduling the county administration is successfully implementing digitized health systems that streamline patient care, record keeping on patients and availability of drug stocks and overall health care management,” stated the CECM.
Ms Mungai disclosed that already 56 health facilities are fully operational on the automated system adding that the paperless technology has not only enhanced efficiency of medical practitioners but also significantly improved patient experiences.
“Governor Susan Kihika’s administration is committed to enhance efficiency, improve data management and streamline service delivery across beneficiary health care facilities,” observed the CECM.
“We continue to advance the governor’s digitization agenda,” Ms Mungai added, emphasizing the county’s commitment to leveraging technology for improved healthcare outcomes.
Speaking at Kabatini Health Centre in Bahati Sub-County the CECM indicated that real time data access empowers health officials to make informed decisions promptly leading to more efficient health care delivery in all public hospitals.
She further indicated that Nakuru County has kicked off transition to an electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS) to boost community health promoters’ (CHPs’) work.
The CHPs will transit from analogue to digital reporting using electronic gadgets after gaining proficiency through technical training.
She stated that over 2,000 CHPs are expected to use the gadgets to aid household registration, patient screening, treatment and referrals and help advocate primary health practices.
“We have been training Community Health Promoters following the successful distribution of tablets, to facilitate the implementation of the digital system. The trainings have been conducted at the ward levels across different community units in all the 11 Sub-Counties,” stated the CECM.
The Electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS) is a national project that was launched two years ago by the Ministry of Health that comprises a SmartHealth Mobile Phone application, built on Medic’s Community Health Toolkit (CHT) platform.
“By leveraging technology to its fullest potential, healthcare workers will be able to access real-time patient/ Community information, track health trends, and identify potential outbreaks promptly,” she said.
Ms Mungai observed that the analogue system was expensive for the county government, rendered data vulnerable and data could easily get lost. But with the digitized system, the official stated data entry is easy, data can be traced and is credible.
She further said that digitization of the health system is set to transform the way patient data is collected, managed, and shared, ultimately enhancing healthcare outcomes and improving patient experiences.
Ms Mungai said technology is vital in Kenya’s effort to achieve universal health coverage. Technology, she noted, “will be one of the major milestones in what will push Kenya and Africa firmly into the future.”
Ms Mungai assured residents that the digitized health system has been designed to guarantee security and confidentiality of their information. “Privacy is the core concern and we always ensure that we abide by the government’s laws as seen in the Data Protection Act. The patient is the centre stage and gives consent to anyone who has access to their digital files,” said the CECM.