Some hospitals risk being decontracted from the Social Health Authority (SHA) if they do not adhere to the latest directive from the Ministry of Health. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale speaking at a stakeholder engagement forum. Why are some hospitals facing closure in three months? On Monday, June 29, SHA gave all hospitals three months to go fully digital by integrating their entire systems to the Health Management Information System (HMIS). The new directive was issued during a stakeholder engagement forum convened jointly by the Ministry, SHA and the Digital Health Agency (DHA) in Nairobi. The meeting sought to discuss the transition from SHA Provider Portal to the new digital platform. READ ALSO Kenya takes bold stand against drug menace as leaders sound alarm on national crisis According to the SHA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Mercy Mwangangi, the shift is critical to improving claims processing, accountability and service delivery under Taifa Care. “Within the next three months, I expect all providers to be fully integrated. If not, we will have no option but to decontract non-compliant facilities,” she said. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale echoed these assertions, saying that the transition would mark the next phase of Kenya’s digital health transformation and is key to achieving Universal Health Coverage. “A robust digital ecosystem that seamlessly connects providers, patients, regulators and healthcare financiers is essential to the success of Taifa Care,” Duale said. So far, a total of 11,034 healthcare facilities have been accredited by SHA.
The Ministry further revealed that the government has begun phasing out the old Provider Portal as it moves towards a fully integrated and paperless health system. The transition is expected to enhance efficiency, speed up claims reimbursement, and strengthen accountability across Kenya’s healthcare sector. SHA CEO Dr Mercy Mwangangi speaking at a stakeholder engagement forum. What is the Health Management Information System (HMIS)? The HMIS is a digital platform used to collect, store, analyse, and manage healthcare data. It transitions hospitals and clinics from manual paperwork to integrated software that streamlines patient care, financial billing, inventory, and national MoH reporting. It is meant to link multiple departments to eliminate operational bottlenecks and improve efficiency. At the clinical level, it manages triage, Electronic Medical Records (EMR), laboratory, radiology, and pharmacy. For the finance department, it handles patient billing, M-PESA integrations, invoicing, and insurance claims. At the administrative level, it organises staff rostering, queue management, and appointments.
It then generates automated summaries required by the Ministry of Health and ensures compliance with SHA. Some of the benefits expected to stem from this transition include reduced wait times for patients as they move through triage, consultation, and pharmacy more quickly due to digital tracking. The system is also expected to eliminate lost files and medication mix-ups by centralising a patient’s medical history. Lastly, another major benefit will be protecting hospitals against revenue leakage by strictly tying care given to patient billing.
