Embu County has received a donation of assorted ICT equipment worth Sh9 million to support HIV services from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The equipment donated under USAID’s County-level service delivery program, Jamii Tekelezi included desktop computers, laptops, internet server, projectors and external hard drives, meant to introduce and expand use of electronic medical recording in the local 22 health facilities.
The shift to electronic recording, according to Jamii Tekelezi Program, Chief Patron, Dr Mutugi Muriithi, is set to herald a new dawn in HIV/AIDS management as it will enable health care providers to obtain real time data for good and timely decision making.
“One of the benefits accruing from the paperless system is that you will be able to retrieve past patient information in real time and incorporate it in terms of decision making,” said Dr Muriithi.
Speaking during the equipment handing over ceremony in Embu Town, the chief patron said the system will also enhance case surveillance and help in understanding specific needs of each and every patient regarding medical interventions that need to be taken.
Embu is regarded as a Low Incident County in terms of HIV/AIDS prevalence with 10, 929 people living with the disease, representing a prevalence rate of 2.3 percent according to statistics from the department of health.
Majority of the patients have been put on necessary antiretroviral treatment and have achieved desired viral suppression, according to the County HIV Activities Coordinator, Daniel Gicovi.
The County Chief Officer of Health, Mary Munene, lauded the gesture saying the system will make their work more efficient in tracking the progress of patients and ensure proper care and treatment is administered.
By Samuel Waititu
