Nairobi [Kenya], October 3: Over a year ago, while working as a midwife at a hospital in Kakamega County, western Kenya, Maureen Maria was not only caring for expectant mothers but also found herself expecting.
As she struggled to balance her job and her pregnancy, Maria recalled that the county government, in partnership with a private firm, had introduced a digital maternal health information system at her facility.
The system, known as PROMPTS, was designed to support women throughout their pregnancy journey. Drawn by curiosity and hope, Maria enrolled both as a caregiver and as a beneficiary.
"I got information on prenatal exercises and nutrition via SMS (short message service) through PROMPTS, and anytime I had a question about pregnancy, I could get answers," Maria said in a recent interview with Xinhua.
She added that the system even offers practical tips, such as putting a pillow under her legs to relieve back pain.
Now a nurse manager, Maria is among the early adopters of digital health as it gains ground in the East African country. She has witnessed firsthand how SMS reminders for antenatal visits and alerts about danger signs are helping to protect mothers.
"To keep mothers safer, we must embed digital health deeply. But it is not only mothers -- digital technology enhances all aspects of healthcare, from remote diagnosis to patient record management, improving overall health outcomes," she said.
As Kenya pushes for the adoption of digital health in all public health facilities, champions like Maria are proving vital.
The national efforts include rolling out electronic medical records to replace paper files in public health facilities, deploying telemedicine, and using real-time data collection tools to monitor disease outbreaks, maternal health indicators, staff capacity, revenue generation, and resource allocation.
On Sept. 19, Aden Duale, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Health, said the government, through the newly created Digital Health Agency, is distributing up to 74,000 computers to some 15,000 public hospitals in Kenya.
"We are embracing digital health to boost access to healthcare and thereby enhance social inclusion," he said.
Irungu Kang'ata, governor of Murang'a County in central Kenya, said the county has widely embraced digital health, especially for patients with diabetes and other chronic illnesses who previously had to travel long distances for care.
"We introduced telemedicine in every ward facility, registering about 20,000 patients. Each facility is equipped with computers that enable nurses to help patients consult doctors at higher-level hospitals," he said.
Thanks to digital health, Kang'ata said, patients no longer need to make long journeys to major hospitals, and scheduled appointments are now available.
He noted that disease management in his county has improved considerably because healthcare now reaches people where they live. Through the system, the county tracks in real time how many patients visit hospitals, what diseases they have, and how much revenue is generated daily.
John Tanui, principal secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy, noted that to enable the digitization of health and other sectors, the government is expanding internet connectivity nationwide.
"The use of digital technology enables institutions to collaborate and share resources via telemedicine. While some areas still face connectivity challenges, we are addressing them as we work toward achieving 100 percent internet connectivity by 2026," he said.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
