By REBECCA WANGARI
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata has protested the government’s decision to shut down the AfyaKe digital health system ahead of the stipulated deadline, warning that the move has disrupted healthcare services across the county.
Kang’ata said the Ministry of Health had indicated that the system would be phased out by October 30 to pave the way for a new digital health programme.
He said the county government had adopted and customised AfyaKe to meet its needs, adding that the platform had played a critical role in digitising health services and improving service delivery over the past three years.
“We adopted this programme from the national government and customised it to suit our needs, and it has been in use for the past three years,” he said.
Addressing the media in Murang’a, the governor said he was taken by surprise when the system was switched off before the announced deadline, paralysing operations in health facilities across the county.
He said medical records and other critical patient information stored on the platform could no longer be accessed, raising concerns about patient safety and continuity of care.
“We went fully digital, storing our records in the system, which made it easier for doctors to access a patient’s medical history at the click of a button,” Kang’ata said.
“Imagine a patient booked for surgery, but the doctor cannot access their medical history. This is very wrong, and whoever authorised this has caused a lot of damage,” he added.
The governor said digitisation had also helped the county increase annual revenue from hospital fees from Sh80 million to Sh800 million.
He added that the system had created opportunities for innovation, including telemedicine, which he said had helped transform healthcare delivery in the county.
Kang’ata further said that during an earlier discussion with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, he had been assured that AfyaKe would not be switched off but would instead be integrated into the new system.
He questioned why the ministry had declined to certify AfyaKe as a digital platform capable of supporting health information exchange, noting that other health management systems used by private hospitals were interconnected with the Social Health Authority (SHA).
“The new programme is not free. There are charges that we will be paying for every transaction, whereas the previous programme was free,” he said.
Kang’ata also expressed concern that patient information could no longer remain under government control, alleging that the new portal was owned by a private individual.
The governor questioned why the ministry had not transferred data from the old platform to the new system to ensure a smooth transition and uninterrupted access to patients’ medical records.
