House committee clears Sh104bn Safaricom-led health digitalisation project

National Assembly Health Committee has cleared Sh104bn Safaricom-led health digitalisation project. The committee says queries on cost, telco's role and tendering have been settled.

Safaricom-led consortium  will implement the Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System (IHTS) after questions were raised about the cost, the role of the telco and the bidding process.

The committee, led by Endebess MP Robert Pukose, questioned Safaricom PLC's role in the consortium, particularly why it was named as the lead partner in the consortium.

The committee was told that the Ministry of Health (MoH) had identified Safaricom PLC as a strategic partner and issued it with a request for a proposal for the tender.

However, Safaricom PLC submitted its bid as a consortium with Apiero Limited and Konvergenz Network Solutions Limited, with Safaricom as the lead bidder.

“Safaricom PLC’s role in the consortium involves overseeing the entire project, ensuring that all consortium partners adhere to the contract’s terms and deliver their respective components as per the agreed scope.

Safaricom PLC, especially with other competitors in the market, was identified owing to its strong capacity to manage and coordinate the project effectively as it is the largest telecommunications company in the country and one of the most advanced in East Africa,” Dr Pukose explained.

While responding to queries fielded by MPs, Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai, who signed the contract on behalf of the ministry, highlighted Safaricom’s technological advantages, particularly its extensive 5G network, which currently reaches 77 percent of the Kenyan population.

The government also maintained that Safaricom’s network covers over 99 per cent of the country, providing connectivity in remote areas.

These factors made the teleco the most suitable partner for a large-scale project requiring a robust and reliable digital infrastructure.

When MPs sought clarification regarding the Sh104.8 billion contract specifically questioning its scope, PS Kimtai clarified that the amount is not solely dedicated to Social Health Insurance but includes various components aimed at delivering a comprehensive and integrated healthcare system for Kenya.

“These components encompass the development of a Health Information Management System, a Health Information Exchange platform, core business services such as provision of telemedicine and track and trace for pharmaceutical products, the SHA Insurance Management Platform, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, National Logistics and Supply Chain Management software, a learning platform, a data lake and analytics system, as well as the necessary digital health infrastructure to support these systems,” the committee chair highlighted.

The committee further queried the Health Ministry about electricity and network connectivity challenges in certain hospitals, especially in remote areas.

The Ministry of Health and the Social Health Authority (SHA) acknowledged the issue, noting that 4,065 hospitals face difficulties with power and internet access.

“To mitigate these challenges, hospitals will receive devices with power banks for backup power,” MoH assured.

The government further explained that the digital system will function in offline mode, ensuring hospitals can operate without internet access.

According to PS Kimtai the ministry is also partnering with the Ministry of Energy to secure infrastructure upgrades including reliable electricity, to facilitate the full implementation of the digital health system. 

“On the potential failure of the digital healthcare system and the measures the Ministry has implemented to prevent such failures.

The ministry assured the committee that there are at least three connectivity lines available to support the system in case of such an occurrence,” the Endebess legislator noted.

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