The Ministry of Health has extended by one month the deadline for health facilities to transition from the SHA Provider Portal to the Health Management Information System (HMIS), allowing facilities more time to complete the migration.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the transition had made significant progress across public, faith-based and private health facilities. Facilities that have not completed the process will now have until October 30 to finalise the transition.
The ministry said all 6,427 public Level 2–4 health facilities had successfully transitioned to HMIS. At Level 5, four public facilities have completed the process, while 23 others are at different stages of migration.
The government is also supporting 518 contracted faith-based facilities with installation and transition to HMIS. So far, 38 of the facilities have fully transitioned, with the remaining facilities expected to complete the process by the October 30 deadline.
At the national government Level 6 level, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) are expected to complete their transition by the end of next week. The remaining national government Level 6 facilities are expected to complete the process by October 30.
The extension also covers private facilities that are required to align their existing health information systems with the digital health framework. The Digital Health Agency (DHA) has so far certified 28 existing HMIS platforms.
The certification is intended to promote standardisation and interoperability of health information systems while strengthening the quality and security of health data. The DHA will conduct Rapid Results Initiatives throughout October to provide technical support to private facilities and accelerate completion of the transition.
The ministry has, however, assured the public that the migration will not interrupt access to healthcare services. Patients will continue receiving treatment at health facilities even where the facility has not yet completed its transition to HMIS.
The ministry urged facilities still undertaking the migration to expedite the process and engage the DHA for technical assistance where necessary.
Health sector associations will also meet the ministry on Friday, October 2, at 8 a.m. to agree on facility-by-facility transition plans. The discussions will cover outstanding requirements and timelines for completing the migration.
The transition is part of the government’s wider digital health reforms aimed at establishing a standardised, interoperable and paperless health information system across the country. Earlier government briefings said the SHA HMIS is intended to integrate healthcare service delivery and health financing through digital systems, including electronic claims processing and secure health information exchange.
