Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has unveiled Kenya’s first fully digitized rural hospital at Balambala Sub-County Hospital in Garissa County, marking a major leap in the country’s health digitization agenda.
The hospital has activated the Health Management Information System (HMIS), which equips the facility with 40 digital devices and a team of 35 trained healthcare workers to accelerate the rollout of digital systems.
With the upgrade, Balambala Sub-County Hospital becomes the first rural facility in Kenya to be fully digitized, underscoring the Ministry’s commitment to extend technology-enabled health services across all counties under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.
“Balambala Sub-County Hospital is now the first rural Sub-County facility to be fully digitized, reinforcing the country’s commitment to scale up technology-enabled health systems across all counties, irrespective of community disparities. “Noted the CS.
“This reform will enable healthcare providers to securely access patient records, strengthen care coordination, minimize medical errors, and eliminate quack practices within the sector,” CS Duale added.
The CS was hosted by Governor Nadhif Jama, Senator Abdul Haji, and Members of Parliament Abdi Shurie (Balambala), Sala Yakub (Fafi), and Maj. Rtd. Dekow Barrow (Garissa Town), among others.
The unveiling coincided with the conclusion of a three-day free medical and surgical camp, where the CS toured the refurbished and expanded Level 4 hospital.
The facility is expected to significantly boost access to healthcare for rural and underserved communities.
Strengthening Health Financing
The medical camp also advanced Kenya’s health financing reforms through the Social Health Authority (SHA). So far, 1,786 residents have been registered under SHA, representing 19 pc of Garissa County’s population of 171,730.
Expanding Access to Care
Additionally, 1,994 patients received services during the camp, including medical consultations, wellness check-ups, and health education.
The Free Medical and Surgical Camp was organized by the Garissa County Government in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to expand access to quality healthcare services.