The Mountain Journal
Murang’a is rooting for the introduction of telemedicine technology.
The County Government has outsourced two service providers Health X and Byon 8 owing to their vast experience in the sector.
Through the partnership with Safaricom, telecommunication infrastructure has been laid connecting the 157 health facilities in the county.
The two firms will be connected with 36 that have been selected for a pilot programme scheduled to start on September 1.
Governor Irungu Kang’ata said the concept will decongest level four hospitals by decentralisation of medical services to the rural facilities.
During the launching of Kenneth Matiba Level Five Hospital in Makeji area, two weeks ago, Kang’ata was focused on providing the best medical treatment to the one million residents in the county through use of the advanced technology.
“It saves patients with chronic ailments time and money spent on travel for routine refills,” said the governor.
Murang’a, he said, will be among the first counties to utilise telemedicine services in efforts to decongest the level four and level five facilities, as the patients will be linked with the medical officers online and have drugs prescribed.
Kang’ata accompanied by Health Chief Officer Wanjohi Karoga met the telemedicine service providers, and they planned how the pilot programme would be rolled out.
The teams from the two firms, he said, are mapping out the health facilities picked for the pilot programme and testing the telecommunication infrastructure installed ahead of the rendering of the services.
“In the assessment of the facilities, the team will visit 20 health facilities in the seven constituencies. The facilities are In the category of dispensaries and health centres,” said the Governor.
Safaricom, he said was laying the telecommunication infrastructure to perfect the introduction of advanced technology in the rural set-up health facilities ahead of the rollout of the programme.
Kahumbu MCA Chefman Njoroge welcomed introduction of the telemedicine services in Murang’a County saying the locals stand to benefit from the initiative as long distances to seek consultant services will come to an end.
The MCA said millions of shillings spent by families to take their sick for specialised treatment in private facilities will come to an end with the introduction of the technology.
“ Saba Saba Health Centre in Kahumbu ward is one of the facilities selected to test the use of the technology. This is an opportunity where local patients will be attended by medical consultants,” said Chefman.
