Murang’a county seeks court intervention over digital health system disruption

The Murang’a County Government has gone to court seeking the restoration of its Afya.ke digital health platform, following a disruption that it says has affected the operations of health facilities across the county.In its court application, the county accuses the national government of disabling the system during the transition to the Health Management Information System (HMIS). According to the county, the shutdown has affected more than 170 health facilities that depend on the platform to manage patient information and support medical services.The county says the system is important because it enables health workers to access patients’ medical histories and provide telemedicine services. Telemedicine allows patients to consult health professionals remotely without necessarily travelling to a hospital. The county warns that the disruption could put patients who depend on regular medical care at risk.Murang’a is asking the court to intervene and ensure that healthcare services continue without interruption. It also wants access to patient records protected as the government moves towards adopting the new digital health system.The dispute comes amid efforts by the national government to standardise digital health services across the country. However, the disagreement between the two levels of government has raised concerns about how the transition will affect hospitals and patients who rely on existing systems.