Safaricom PLC has announced that, in collaboration with Apeiro Limited and Konvergenz Network Solutions Limited it will invest in Kenya’s Health digital revolution.
In a statement on Saturday, September 21, Safaricom announced that the project will involve a substantial investment of Ksh 104 billion towards the implementation of an Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System (IHTS).
“Guided by our purpose of transforming lives and driven by our commitment to use technology to address some of Kenya’s pressing challenges, we have led a consortium of companies (“The Consortium”) to advance the ambitions of the Ministry of Health to ensure that every Kenyan has access to quality health care,” reads the statement in part.
“The Consortium includes: Apeiro Limited and Konvergenz Network Solutions Limited and will invest KES 104,808,136,478 over a ten-year period to implement, maintain and support the IHTS System.”
Project to Take Over 10 years
Safaricom added that the investment will be recovered over the said ten-year period with installments set to commence from February 2025 upon successful implementation of key milestones on the project.
Additionally, the telco stated that the project structure will allow the Ministry to deploy comprehensive digital health solutions without incur ring any upfront capital expenditure (CapEx) or operational expenditure (OpEx).
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Safaricom Outlines What the Project Will Focus on:
1. Implementation of a Health Information Exchange (HIE) to drive interoperability of health systems across the country unifying patient records across health facilities in the country.
2. Development and roll out of a Standard Based Integrated Hospital Management Information System (IHMIS) to support digitization of public health facilities in partnership with the Ministry of Health and County Governments.
3. Technology to digitize health products and technology (HPT) supply chain. This will enable the visibility of the movement of pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceutical products, reduction in stockouts, and traceability of medicines to the patient level.
4. Comprehensive technology for health insurance to support digitalization of the Social Health Authority to curb fraud and improve efficiency, transparency, accountability in healthcare financing.
5. Comprehensive infrastructure to support the Digital Health Ecosystem in Kenya.
This includes a Kenyan hosted health cloud, end point devices which include specially tailored tablets and computers made for every healthcare professional, secure mobile and fixed network across public health facilities and power back up for all facilities to assure technology uptime.
6. Robust cybersecurity technology and measures to ensure all patient data remains secure and in compliance with applicable Kenyan laws.
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Other Areas in the Investment
In addition to technology development, Safaricom and its consortium partners will support the Ministry in training public health professionals across the country.
It will also assist in project management, and the ground roll out of various technology components across the country.
“The delivery of this project builds on Safaricom’s ability to successfully rollout digital platforms that have had a positive impact on Kenyans such as Hustler Fund, the fertilizer e-voucher program and disbursement of social support funds to the elderly through the inua jamii program,” said Safaricom.
“We have also extensively partnered with county governments to digitize revenue collections and recently commenced local device assembly through a consortium. The device assembly will further accelerate Kenyans’ access to digital services.”
Safaricom added the project represents a significant step in advancing its ambitions to be a purpose led technology company.
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