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UHC push for digital platform gets stakeholders major boost

Monday, May 29th, 2023 06:00 | By
Joyce Wamicwe, head of policy and research at the Ministry of Health reads the speech of CS Susan Nakumhicha at the Multi-sectoral conference on science, technology and innovation in Nairobi yesterday.. PD/JOHN OCHIENG
Joyce Wamicwe, head of policy and research at the Ministry of Health reads the speech of CS Susan Nakumhicha at the Multi-sectoral conference on science, technology and innovation in Nairobi yesterday.. PD/JOHN OCHIENG

The Ministry of Health’s push to have most of its operations run on a digital platform have received a boost after the Ministry of ICT committed to support the establishment of a Universal Healthcare system.

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha said her ministry was keen to establish a number of digital platforms to enhance the attainment of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Some of these platforms include the Electronic Community Health Information System, automation of various processes and development of a digital health platform.

“The project leverages frontier technologies to improve access to quality healthcare, especially in hard-to-reach areas,” she said in remarks delivered by Dr Joyce Wamicwe, Head of Policy and Research at the ministry during an inter-ministerial round-table in the ongoing conference.

Multi-sectoral Conference

The remarks were presented at the ongoing second multi-sectoral conference on science technology and innovation hosted jointly by the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), National Research Fund and Konza Technopolis.

The theme for the conference is; “Harnessing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Food Security and Public Good in a Transformational Digitized Economy.”

Nakhumicha stated the comprehensive and integrated health information system will enable the seamless flow of information across the healthcare system. It will also facilitate the expansion of health coverage, increase access, and reduce the cost of care. The health sector has made steady progress in digital technology transformation through the implementation of digital solutions to deliver health services, she noted, saying there is commitment on the government side to adopt technology as a critical enabler for accelerating the attainment of UHC.

According to the CS, the system she is advocating for is one that will serve as the basis of more innovation in the Kenyan healthcare system using frontier technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), personalised medicine approaches, and telemedicine.

“By leveraging frontier technology, we will be able to provide accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare to all our citizens, irrespective of their social status or financial ability,” she said

AI for instance, Nakhumicha explained that it will facilitate diagnosis of diseases more accurately and efficiently, make better use of healthcare data, and develop new treatments for diseases.

“Artificial intelligence can also be used to personalise the care for individual patients,” she noted, highlighting that through telemedicine, care coverage will be expanded to remote regions. This, revealed, will give patients in those areas access to medical specialists in urban centres without the need to travel long distances, saving both time and money.

Medical records

This will mean that a Kenyan healthcare seeker can easily also access their medical records in any hospital in the country. And it will even be much better once an ongoing project to establish a Universal Healthcare platform is complete. This system is projected to be in place in the next two to three financial years, a senior official at the Konza Technopolis revealed.

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