KISUMU, Kenya, Feb 3 – Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) has set a national benchmark in digital health transformation after government officials praised the Kisumu-based facility for becoming fully paperless.
The delegation, led by Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for the State Department of Medical Services, said digitisation is now central to delivering efficient, accountable, and patient-centred healthcare in public hospitals.
“Digitisation is no longer optional. It is essential if we are to improve efficiency, accountability, and the quality of care offered to Kenyans,” PS Oluga said during the tour.
At the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department, manual registers have been replaced with an integrated digital system that tracks patients from registration through diagnosis and treatment. Central to this transformation is the AfyaKE platform, which links clinical services, laboratories, pharmacies, and medical records. Clinicians now use tablets to send orders directly to service points, reducing patient movement, waiting times, and errors associated with paper-based workflows.
JOOTRH Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Clinton Okise said the hospital has completed its transition to a fully paperless environment, with all patient records digitized and accessible in real time.
“We are now fully paperless. Patient files are no longer lost, and clinicians can access records instantly, which has greatly improved coordination of care,” Dr. Okise said.
The system also connects the main hospital to its satellite facilities, including the Victoria Annex and Prime Acre Amenity Wing, allowing seamless sharing of patient information and continuity of care.
PS Oluga highlighted the platform’s analytical capabilities, including real-time dashboards showing patient numbers, service utilisation, prescriptions, laboratory tests, and pharmacy outputs.
“With this kind of data, leadership can make timely, evidence-based decisions. You can see what is happening across the hospital at any given moment,” he said.
Hospital officials said the rollout is ongoing, with additional service points being integrated in phases to ensure system stability and user adoption.
The visit also underscored the government’s broader push for digital health under the Social Health Authority framework, which positions technology as a key enabler of efficient, transparent, and patient-centred healthcare delivery.
