By WANGARI NJUGUNA
A delegation from Nigeria toured Murang’a County to benchmark the implementation of the telemedicine programme in the health sector.
The county has embraced the use of technology across nearly all sectors, making it a point of attraction for other regions seeking to improve service delivery.
The team, led by the Permanent Secretary in Niger State’s Ministry of Health, Usman Abdullahi, said they were keen to learn how the system works so they could replicate it in their country to improve healthcare services.
Abdullahi said the use of technology in the health sector offers a practical solution, especially amid a shortage of medical personnel.
“We are keen to learn about telemedicine and how it works so that we can also deploy it back home, seeing that the model is effectively working here in Murang’a,” said Abdullahi.
“We are also faced with a shortage of health specialists, and this would come in handy in optimally utilising the ones available through virtual clinics,” he added.
The delegation also learnt about the newly established teleradiology system, which allows medical images such as ultrasounds, X-rays and CT scans to be reviewed remotely by specialists.
The model has significantly reduced the time taken to review medical images since doctors do not have to physically visit health facilities.
The visiting team also expressed interest in Murang’a’s flagship health programmes, including Kang’ataCare, the county-sponsored medical insurance scheme covering 40,000 vulnerable households, equivalent to about 160,000 residents.
The programme provides vulnerable families with access to inpatient and outpatient care, chronic disease treatment and emergency services.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata said the use of technology has played a major role in ensuring medical services are accessible and affordable to residents.
“We are open to sharing our experiences with others because this will also be a chance for us to learn more about areas that need improvement,” he said.
He added that the networking of health facilities across the county has played a pivotal role in transforming the health sector.
“The county is keen to leverage technology in the health sector to ensure residents have access to affordable and quality healthcare,” added Kang’ata.
