Kisumu County picked to pilot key National Health Transformation project
By Dickson Odhiambo
August 2, 2021
Kisumu County picked to pilot key
National Health Transformation project
Kisumu County has again been picked to pilot a key national
health transformation project.
This project will see the digitization of information on
community health services across the country.
The Ministry of
Health has settled on Kisumu to test the ambitious Electronic Community health
Information System (eCHIS) which will cost Sh 5.2 billion once completed across
the country.
The project expected
to revolutionize the delivery of health care deep in rural parts of the
country.
After the pilot phase, it will be rolled out across the 47
Counties and will see Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) supplied with
electronic devices such as mobile phones to help eliminate the costly and
rigorous paper work in public health facilities.
Speaking during a Breakfast meeting held in Kisumu today
during the launch of the pilot project, senior Ministry of health officials
said the project was anchored on the National Strategy for Community health
digitization which seeks to strengthen health data management systems.
Kisumu Governor, Prof
Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o says the project
was a big boost to the primary health care in Kenya as it will help address the
inefficiencies that has dogged the Primary health care.
“You cannot successfully provide health care without
real-time data and accurate information from patients. This project will
eliminate the use of exercise books by patients seeking treatment in health
facilities,” says Prof Nyong’o.
Nyong’o says as the Chair of the Council of Governor’s
Health Committee, he fully support this initiative and they will soon meet the
Ministry of health officials to discuss its smooth implementation.
Governor Prof Nyong’o
thanks Afya House for choosing Kisumu to pilot the project.
He adds that the County has just recently piloted the
Universal Health Care Program, alongside Five other Counties across the
country.
“Universal health care can only succeed with date driven
sound health care system. Without data harvested through a sound health care
system, it will be like climbing a tree from the top,” the Governor says.
The Kisumu County Chief Officer, Dr Gregory Ganda says Kisumu
has been chosen to pilot the project because of its robust health care
infrastructure and interest to invest in Community health.
The County recently launched a health insurance scheme known
as Marwa Kisumu Solidarity Health
Cover for close to 90,000 indigents (Vulnerable families).
Presenting a justification for the project, a senior
Ministry official Dr Maureen Kimani said the paper based old system was
cumbersome, adding that the Community based information tools were often out of
stock.
“There has been inefficient data collection, analysis and
reporting. The paper based tools have also been costly, resulting in delay in
timely data submission,” Dr Kimani says.
She said the roadmap
for the projects starts immediately and will peak in 2025.
Through this system, which the officials say will be easy to
use, a Community Health Volunteer will register family members in his or her
locality and their data and medical records will be available at local health
facilities should they fall sick.
In an executive
summary to the National Community Health Digitization Strategy 2020-2025, the
Acting Director General of Health, Dr Patrick Amoth says the ministry was
responding to the gaps identified in Community Health service delivery and data
management.
Kisumu becomes the only county picked to pilot this project.
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