Patients seeking
health services will soon no longer need to carry paper records when they move
to another facility or doctor.
At the click of a button, the health practitioner will be able to pull up records of the client no matter where they accessed services before.
According
to Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang Ny’ong’o, this digital infrastructure will be key
enabler to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking at
the inaugural Lake Region Digital Health Conference, Prof Ny’ong’o said there was need for
the national and county governments to fastrack the necessary infrastructure
for the deployment of Digital health across the different levels to enhance
clinical experience for patients.
He
said even though laying the infrastructure for Digital Health was capital
intensive, the benefits of the system could not be underestimated.
Kisumu county, he said has taken the lead in the rollout of
Digital health with all primary health facilities in the area integrated.
This, he added has helped to improve the referral system in
the area with patients getting high quality services from the lower level
facilities all the way to level six facilities.
Through the Digital Health initiative, Prof. Nyong'o said
the devolved unity was on course to develop a comprehensive health records
management system which will go a long way in enhancing clinical experiences
for patients in the area.
Patients being referred to a different facility, he said
will find their records there making it easy to trace medical records.
To make digital health a success, Nyong'o called for
collaboration with partners to unlock the bottlenecks detailing its rollout.
He praised the success of the Kisumu Social Health Insurance
Scheme, which started with digital registration through MTIBA platform
capturing 850,000 individuals in 2018.
He lauded partnerships with organisations like Pharm Acess
and Living Goods for enabling the digitalisation of the community health, which
has improved maternal health and reduced stunting rates in the area.
As Kisumu county moves towards an interconnected health
system, Nyong'o called for the integration of the system to prevent
inequalities, adding that his administration was committed to the establishment
of inclusive and efficient health system powered by digital innovations.
Speaking during the same occasion Dr. Mazyanga Lucy Liwewe Mazaba,
the Regional Director for the Eastern Africa Regional Co-coordinating
Centre of the Africa Centres for Disease Control & Prevention Netherlands
said the experiences learnt from Kenya were instrumental in driving the global
digital health agenda.
Van said Netherlands which partnered with the county
governments of Kisumu and Homa Bay to host the conference will continue to
support Kenya to achieve the digital health dream.
The two-day conference which ends on Thursday brought together stakeholders from across the region to explore how digital innovations can transform healthcare delivery and ensure that no one is left behind.