KISUMU COUNTY TO PILOT A KEY HEALTH PROJECT
Written by Odhiambo Shem on August 2, 2021
The Ministry of Health has chosen Kisumu County to test the ambitious Electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS) which will cost Ksh. 5.2 billion once completed across the country.
After the pilot, thr project will be rolled out across the 47 counties and it 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.
Presiding over the official launch of the pilot project, Kisumu Governor Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o said that the project is a big boost to the primary health care in Kenya since 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,” said Nyong’o.
He thanked Afya House for settling on Kisumu to pilot the project bearing that the county has just recently piloted the Universal Health Care Program alongside five other counties.
The Kisumu County Chief Officer Dr. Gregory Ganda has said that the county has been chosen due to 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 vulnerable families.
A senior Ministry official Dr. Maureen Kimani while presenting a justification for the project, said that the paper based old system was cumbersome, adding that the community based information tools were often out of stock.
Through this system, a Community health Volunteer will register family members in his/her locality and their data and medical records will be available at local health facilities should they fall sick. the roadmap for the projects starts immediately and will peak in 2025.
