Murang'a County banks on telemedicine to boost healthcare

A section of Kenneth Matiba Level Five Hospital in the Makeji area along the Nyeri- Nairobi highway. [Boniface Gikandi, Standard]

Murang'a County plans to introduce telemedicine and has sourced the services of two firms to assist with the process.

The county has selected 36 health facilities to pilot the project scheduled to start on September 1, with doctors from Health X and Byon 8 to be in charge.

Telemedicine involves remote diagnosis and treatment of patients and is one of the growing concepts in the medical world.

Yesterday, Governor Irungu Kang'ata said the concept will decongest level four hospitals through decentralisation of medical services to the rural facilities.

During the launch of Kenneth Matiba Level Five Hospital in Makeji, two weeks ago, Kang'ata emphasized the need to embrace technology to improve healthcare services.

"It saves patients with chronic ailments time and money spent on travel for routine refills," said the governor.

He said Murang'a, will be among the first counties to utilise telemedicine in efforts to decongest the Level Four and Level Five facilities, as the patients will be linked with the medics 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.

He said the teams from the two firms are mapping out the health facilities for the pilot programme and testing the telecommunication infrastructure installed ahead of rendering 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.

Kang'ata said Safaricom, was laying the telecommunication infrastructure to boost the introduction of advanced technology in the rural health facilities ahead of the rollout of the programme.

Kahumbu MCA Chefman Njoroge welcomed the plan to rollout telemedicine in Murang'a county saying this will save locals from walking long distances to seek healthcare.