Donated Solar Equipment Improves Health Service Delivery in Busia County

To enhance quality service delivery to care recipients, USAID Dumisha Afya supported the Busia County Department of Health with electronic equipment worth 26 million Kenyan shillings (approx. US$190,000). The equipment includes computers, tablets and data storage devices which were donated to optimize the use of various modules of the Kenya Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system.

Speaking during the flagging off ceremony at Alupe Sub-County Hospital, county deputy governor Arthur Odera thanked USAID through the Dumisha Afya program and noted that the donation was essential in fast-tracking the county’s vision of going paperless in service delivery at county hospitals. Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital is the implementing partner for USAID Dumisha Afya.

Dr. Everlyn Ashiono, USAID Dumisha Afya chief of party, highlighted the need for integration of services at the facilities and the critical role of data in decision-making.

Also present was USAID’s Dr. Salome Okutoyi who lauded the county for the partnership and promised further engagement aimed at improving health outcomes in the county.

To bolster health information systems further, the project has cumulatively provided the county with 269 tablets, 72 desktops, and 63 laptops, significantly increasing electronic medical record (EMR) coverage of people receiving treatment with antiretroviral medication from 62% before the project's inception to more than 95%.

During the ceremony, the governor also commissioned the installed solar equipment donated by the program at the hospital. County staff led by Chief Officer of Health Dr. Wilberforce Lusamba, County Director of Health Dr. Janerose Ambuchi and other USAID Dumisha Afya staff were also present during the event.

The USAID technical team also convened site visits to six health facilities in Busia County. The visits began with a courtesy call to the county’s executive committee member (CECM) for health and included discussions on HIV integration within the existing Ministry of Health systems.