NAIROBI, Kenya- The Ministry of Health has given health facilities an additional month to migrate to the Health Management Information System (HMIS), saying patients must continue receiving care while the transition is completed.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said no patient would be denied services because a facility had not yet moved from the Provider Portal to HMIS.
“Patients will continue to receive services at all health facilities during this transition period,” the statement said.
“The ongoing migration to HMIS will therefore not disrupt access to healthcare services.”
The extension comes as several public hospitals and faith-based facilities work to complete the switch, with the ministry setting October 30 completion targets across those categories.
Thousands of public facilities complete transition
According to the ministry, all 6,427 public health facilities in Levels 2 to 4 have transitioned to HMIS.
Progress among Level 5 public facilities remains uneven.
Four have completed the migration, while another 23 are at various stages of the process.
The ministry expects all Level 5 public facilities to complete the transition by October 30.
Among faith-based providers, the government is supporting 518 contracted facilities with installation and migration.
Only 38 have fully transitioned, with the remainder expected to complete the process by the same date.
KNH and KUTRRH expected to switch next week
Kenyatta National Hospital and Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital are expected to complete their migration by the end of next week, the ministry said.
The remaining national government Level 6 facilities are expected to finish by October 30.
The transition forms part of the government’s effort to establish a digital and paperless health information system across public, private and faith-based facilities.
Private facilities undergoing certification
Private facilities with existing HMIS platforms have begun seeking certification for their systems, according to the statement.
The Digital Health Agency has so far certified 28 platforms. The figure refers to health information systems, rather than the number of facilities that have completed migration.
The ministry said certification is intended to standardise the systems, enable them to exchange information and strengthen the quality and security of health data.
Throughout October, the agency will conduct Rapid Results Initiatives with private facilities to provide technical support and accelerate the transition.
“All facilities that have not yet completed the transition are urged to expedite the process without further delay and to engage the Digital Health Agency for any technical assistance required,” the statement said.
The ministry will meet health sector associations on Friday, October 2, at 8am to agree on a transition plan for individual facilities.
The discussions will identify outstanding requirements and establish timelines for completing the migration.
