Murang’a Government heads to court over interruption of health services
The Murang’a County Government heads to court seeking orders that would facilitate the restoration of the Afya KE system, three days after health services were disrupted after the disconnection of a digital platform.
James Thuku, the Attorney at the County Government, seeks for court order to compel Ministry of Health, the Digital Health Agency, Health Cabinet Secretary Adan Duale, SHA, and the Attorney General, to restore the Afya Ke and allow the 176 health facilities continue uninterrupted.
The applicant cites that the health facilities serve over a million people drawn from the counties of Murang’a, Kiambu, Nyeri, Machakos, Kirinyaga and Nyandarua.
In the affidavit, Thuku seeks SHA to allow the health facilities in Murang’a uninterrupted access to the services available through the Afya Ke platform, that include lodging claims, submitting, tracking, and processing claims under the SHA framework.
“ The applicant has digitised health care provision by adapting an integrated information management system that makes it easy to take and keep patients’ data. The applicant has automated several government facilities to ensure efficient, reliable and high quality service to the people,” read part of the plaint.
The telemedicine programme, supported by the Afya Ke, between January to June had attended 76,185 patients within the 36 health facilities in the county.
Thuku moved to court following the shutdown of the Afya Ke that has been used by the health facilities in the past three years.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata has pointed an accusing finger at the Health CS Aden Duale and who has denied the shutting down of the digital system.