NAKURU — The County Government of Nakuru has successfully implemented automated revenue collection technology in over 95 percent of its public health facilities. This has resulted in an enhancement of both service delivery and accountability.
According to Kenya News Agency, Ms. Jacqueline Osoro, revenue from public health facilities has more than doubled in the past four years, from Sh.597 million in 2019 to Sh1.5 billion in the last financial year. This sum was collected from 19 hospitals from July 2022 to June 2023. Ms. Osoro attributed the increase in revenue to the adoption of automated revenue collection technology.
During an event at the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital, where the Taita Taveta Health Management Team was hosted to benchmark healthcare management practices, Ms. Osoro stated that the new system enables patients to pay for medical services through bank agents and M-Pesa and receive receipts.
She also noted that Governor Susan Kihika’s administration has consistently improved health outcomes by ring-fencing user charges collected at all level 4 hospitals and the County Referral and Teaching Hospital to enhance the quality of services offered.
The facilities from which the revenue was collected include Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital, PGH Annex wing, and several other hospitals across Nakuru. Ms. Osoro further stated that the automated system not only eliminates the handling of hard cash but also enables tracking of the number of patients, the services they receive, and their diagnosis and treatment.
Ms. Osoro revealed plans to further enhance transparency and efficiency through an automated drug management system. She said that all public healthcare facilities in Nakuru give monthly reports on revenue collection, aiding in service improvement. She added that the new system will also be used for the issuance and receiving of drugs to seal any loopholes and prevent leakage.
To tackle issues such as data loss and lack of space, the Nakuru county health department plans to automate its laboratory information and inventory management systems. They are also exploring partnerships to provide telemedicine services for convenient and subsidized medical consultations.
Mr. Gifton Mkaya, who also spoke at the event, emphasized the importance of integrating technology into service delivery for economic development. He said that e-government services offer counties an opportunity to enhance efficiency, combat corruption, and ensure better allocation of resources.