Health facilities yet to move to the government’s new digital health platform have until September 30 to complete the transition or risk losing access to the Social Health Authority (SHA) system.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the existing SHA provider portal will be switched off at midnight on September 30, making the new Health Management Information System (HMIS) the required platform for contracted facilities.
“On the 1st, we are going to close the provider portal on SHA, and we are asking all health facilities to transition to a new system called HMIS,” Duale said.
Duale said public and county hospitals operating at levels two, three and four had already made the switch. Private and faith-based health facilities that have not completed the process are expected to do so before the deadline.
The HMIS will allow facilities to verify patients digitally and submit claims electronically, replacing the manual processes previously used under the SHA provider system.
The move is part of the government’s wider plan to build a more connected digital health system through the Digital Health Agency, with the new platform expected to improve efficiency and accountability in healthcare financing.
Duale spoke in Nairobi during the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS), where he also highlighted the need to maintain reliable supplies of quality medicines and health products.
He said the real measure of Universal Health Coverage should be what patients encounter when seeking treatment, including whether they can obtain safe, effective and affordable medicines.
MEDS has spent four decades supporting healthcare facilities through the sourcing, testing, quality assurance and distribution of essential medicines and health products.
The organisation has held World Health Organisation prequalification since 2009. It also has ISO 9001:2015 certification and received ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation in 2024.
Duale further pointed to the role of faith-based facilities in providing healthcare under the SHA arrangement.
He said 876 faith-based facilities have active SHA contracts, while 530 are already using the system to transact.
The facilities have so far filed claims amounting to Sh41.1 billion, with Sh29.8 billion already settled.
Duale said timely processing and payment of claims remained important in helping health facilities maintain their operations and ensure they have adequate stocks of medicines and other essential supplies.
He added that digital systems would provide greater accountability and clearer visibility within the health sector as Kenya works to strengthen its regulatory and health systems and achieve World Health Organisation Maturity Level 3.
During the MEDS anniversary celebrations, Duale also called for more investment in reliable supply chains, a well-trained health workforce and independent quality-testing systems.
The event also marked the launch of MEDS Devane Company Limited, a special-purpose vehicle created to help MEDS expand into private healthcare and pursue new opportunities in the sector.