The Digital Health System has been integrated with the National Bureau of Registration and the National Education Management System (NEMIS), Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said.

Duale said the move is meant to weed out corruption in the Health sector and to ensure “the person receiving treatment is real”.
Duale also promised to reform the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) to work efficiently in the supplies of quality health commodities to citizens.

Appearing before the Senate Delegated Legislation Committee chaired by Tharaka Nithi lawmaker Mwenda Gataya, Duale painted a grim picture of how women lose their lives during birth because the drugs to stop the bleeding currently being supplied in the market are fake.

Yesterday, the newly elected Health Cabinet Secretary told the lawmakers that the Digital Health Management regulations will further put a permanent stop to fake doctors, nurses, ghost health facilities and counterfeit drugs.

“Once the Digital Health Regulations are approved by Parliament, we will no longer have quack doctors or nurses. This is because, the details of the health professionals will be in the system. It will show which doctor treated you and what drugs were prescribed,” said Duale.

He charged that the digital health system will help track down the supply of drugs to health facilities by KEMSA.

Duale said the system will provide evidence based health financing which will reduce the funds that have been lost in the past in the sector by sealing all the loopholes that have been used by cartels in the past to siphon off billions of the shillings through insurance fraud.

Gaps in the system

The former National Assembly Majority leader and Garissa Town legislator told Senators that the Digital Health Authority will also ensure that health data in the system is protected.

He explained that a person or entity shall not access the health data unless authorized by the client or the health data controller. “I would like to assure Kenyans that their health data will be safe with controllers implementing secure network infrastructure with firewalls, intrusion detection systems and vulnerability assessments,” said Duale.

The Cabinet Secretary who took over the health docket last week in a reshuffle done by President William Ruto promised to ensure that Taifa Care works in order to ensure that the less fortunate Kenyans are able to get essential medical services without a struggle.

“I am three days old in this docket but I promise Kenyans that I would ensure that despite not being a medical professional I will ensure that citizens get quality medical care by having Taifa care working to serve all Kenyans who are in need,” said Duale.

He said he will be seeking an opportunity to address both houses of Parliament to inform the representatives of the people on the reforms in the health sector.

Duale said once Members of Parliament are well briefed they will be able to communicate to their constituents who have raised concerns about the health sector. He said the digital health system will help do away with quacks who have taken advantage of gullible Kenyans which has contributed to deaths that could have been avoided.

“I am beseeching Kenyans to give the government a chance to implement the changes in the health sector which are meant for the good of the citizens since a healthy population is a key cornerstone of a successful nation,” said Duale.

He told Senators that the Kenya Health Data Governance Framework shall be the reference document for the management of health data and shall govern the collection, access, sharing and use of health data.

Duale said the agency shall ensure that health data controllers and processors comply with the requirements specified under the Kenya Health Data Governance Framework.