JOOTRH Sets the Pace for Paperless Healthcare as Principal Secretaries Tour Facility

Kisumu, Kenya - February 2, 2026 - A delegation of Principal Secretaries has commended the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) for its successful transition to a fully paperless, digitised healthcare system, describing it as a strong model for modern, patient-centred service delivery in public hospitals.

The visit was led by Dr. Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Medical Services, who noted that digitisation is no longer optional but essential for improving efficiency, accountability, and quality of care. The delegation observed patient flow at the Accident and Emergency Department, where manual registers have been replaced with an integrated digital process from registration to treatment.

The team reviewed the implementation of the AfyaKE system, which now links clinical, laboratory, pharmacy, and records services. Medical officers use tablets to transmit orders directly to service points, significantly reducing patient movement, waiting times, and the risk of errors associated with paper-based systems.

JOOTRH Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Clinton Okise said the hospital is now fully paperless, with all patient records digitised and accessible in real time. He noted that the system has resolved long-standing challenges of lost files while improving coordination across departments and satellite facilities, including the Victoria Annex and Prime Acre Amenity Wing.

Demonstrating the system’s data capabilities, Dr. Oluga highlighted the availability of real-time dashboards that allow leadership to track patient volumes, service utilisation, prescriptions, and laboratory and pharmacy outputs, enabling timely, evidence-based decisions.

While the impact of digitisation is already evident, the hospital continues to scale up the system to cover additional service points as part of a phased rollout.

The visit underscores the Government’s commitment to digital health transformation under the Social Health Authority framework, with technology positioned as a key enabler of efficient, transparent, and people-centred healthcare delivery.