Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has ordered all health facilities contracted by the Social Health Authority (SHA) to migrate to the new Health Management Information System (HMIS) by September 30 or risk being locked out of the scheme.
Duale said the SHA provider portal will be closed at midnight on September 30, marking a major shift towards a fully digital system for verification of patients and processing of claims.
“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.
He said county and public hospitals at levels two, three and four had already migrated to the system, while private and faith-based facilities were required to complete the transition before the deadline.
The new system is expected to replace manual processes with digital patient verification and electronic claims submission, with the Government seeking to improve efficiency and accountability in healthcare financing.
The shift is part of wider reforms being implemented through the Digital Health Agency to establish a more integrated and paperless health system.
Duale spoke in Nairobi during the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS), where he also highlighted the importance of reliable access to quality medicines and health products.
The CS said Universal Health Coverage should ultimately be measured by the experience of patients at healthcare facilities, including their ability to access safe, effective and affordable medicines.
For four decades, MEDS has supported healthcare facilities by sourcing, testing, quality-assuring and distributing essential medicines and health products.
The organisation has maintained World Health Organisation prequalification since 2009, while it also holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation attained in 2024.
Duale also recognised the contribution of faith-based facilities under the SHA framework.
He said 876 faith-based facilities currently had active SHA contracts, with 530 already using the system to transact.
The facilities have submitted claims worth Sh41.1 billion, of which Sh29.8 billion had been settled.
Duale said continued improvements in claims processing and settlement were necessary to ensure health facilities had adequate resources to maintain services and stock essential medicines and supplies.
He said digital systems would also improve accountability and visibility across the health sector as Kenya works to strengthen its regulatory and health systems towards achieving World Health Organisation Maturity Level 3.
As MEDS marks 40 years of operations, Duale called for increased investment in resilient supply chains, a skilled health workforce and independent quality-testing systems.
The celebrations also saw the launch of MEDS Devane Company Limited, a special-purpose vehicle that will support the organisation’s expansion into the private healthcare market and explore new opportunities in the sector.
