Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Charles Mutai, joins participants for a group photo during the meeting.
In a significant stride towards enhancing healthcare accessibility and efficiency through the HealthIT project, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) hosted a fundamental meeting with the Kisumu County Department of Health and other key partners including software developers. The meeting aimed to foster collaboration on the development of a comprehensive system – eCHIS, which integrates community health services with cutting-edge digital systems across various levels of care, ranging from community-based initiatives to teaching and referral hospitals. This meeting commenced on Monday 29 April, 2024, and concluded on Friday, 3 May, 2024. This will facilitate the strengthening of the national digital information systems while supporting the provision of data and reporting mechanisms for informed decision-making, overly contributing towards enhancing Kenya’s health outcomes.
Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Charles Mutai, addresses the participants during the meeting.
The meeting witnessed active participation from a diverse array of institutions and experts, including representatives from the Ministry of Health both at the headquarters and Kisumu County levels. Other participating institutions included Palladium, Farm Access, the University of Nairobi HealthIT, MMUST HealthIT, Elephant Health Care, and the University of Washington. Led by the Head of Digital Health- Kisumu County, Mr. James Odinga, the team was warmly received by MMUST’s Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Charles Mutai , and Registrar of Planning, Research, and Innovation, Dr. Collins Matemba.
Speaking during the inaugural session of the meeting, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Charles Mutai emphasized MMUST’s endorsement of the HealthIT project, recognizing its critical role in refining and advancing healthcare practices. Prof. Mutai underscored the importance of collaborative efforts between universities, government bodies, and different Ministries, stressing that such partnerships are essential to achieving outputs such as streamlined healthcare systems.
“As a University, we are committed to fostering collaborations and partnerships to effectively leverage expertise,” stated Prof. Mutai. Further, he highlighted the project’s significance in enhancing efficiency within the healthcare sector and ensuring the availability of accurate data for informed decision-making.
Registrar for Planning, Research, and Innovation, Dr. Collins Matemba during the meeting.
In her remarks, MMUST’s HealthIT lead, Dr. Dorothy Rambim who is also a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, School of Computing and Informatics revealed the invaluable contribution of MMUST to the project. She stressed on the University’s dedication to advancing healthcare through innovation and collaboration, commending its role in providing essential capacity-building initiatives and technical expertise that have been instrumental in driving the project forward.
MMUST’s HealthIT leads, Dr. Dorothy Rambim (Right) together with Dr. Erick Ater Onyango (left) keenly following the discussions.
Certainly, this initiative marks a crucial step towards fortifying national digital information systems, ensuring robust reporting mechanisms, and facilitating data-driven decision-making in healthcare.
By Caren Nekesa
Photos by Shiundu Masafu
