In a public-private partnership with mHealth Kenya, the government’s medical supplies agency, the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) digitised its logistics services.
mHealth, a software development enterprise for service delivery companies, developed a mobile and web-based system that is integrated to the Logistics Management Information System (LMIS).
The KEMSA eMobile/LMIS system is a commodity management application implemented in the 47 counties.
Using the system, the counties and other facilities digitally order for medical supplies directly from KEMSA. It allows them to track the orders in real-time. This saves on time, while making the process transparent and efficient. The mHealth says that the eMobile management information system has reduced the turnaround time from order to receipt of commodities at facilities from 64 days to seven days.
Further, KEMSA has an e-mobile platform that includes a module designed to provide information to stakeholders about a health facility. This includes key decision makers in the health facilities who ordinarily do not need access to the ordering system, but need important data such as order status, order fill rate, order turnaround time, county/facility statements/balances and facilities’ programmes reporting rates.
The KEMSA Logistic Management Information System is integrated in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform that gives visibility to the customer once an order has been made through LMIS.
The KEMSA eMobile only compliments the LMIS by providing visibility and information concerning their orders, which is done in the LMIS, thus the eMobile comes at the tail end of the process after it is initialised in the LMIS.
The application allows for visibility of reporting rates that would allow the key stakeholders to see which facility has reported for which programme.
The eMobile enables facilities to confirm their receipt of supplies, measure turnaround time, and view county statements fill rate and order status.
It targets public hospitals, especially in remote areas to ease procurement of medical supplies from KEMSA.
Various health sector partners, including Ministry of Health departmental staff, donors, and facility support partners, also have access to relevant information at facility and national level to aid in decision making.
The public too is not left in the dark as one is able to check whether specific drugs are available in their nearest health facility. This means that a patient doesn’t have to waste time going to a facility which has run out of a drug they need.