Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) and Fintech Kenya have unveiled the former's mobile based commodity tracking application that will help in the monitoring, ordering, tracking and evaluation of drugs for the Ministries of Medical Services/Public Health-supported health facilities

and programmes in the country.

A Public-Private Partnership between the Centre for Disease control (CDC), mhealth and KEMSA, the KEMSA e-Mobile platform will be rolled out in all 47 counties in the coming Months with the automation and standardization of the commodity tracking process.

"In delivering to some of the Vision 2030 objectives of ICT integration in service delivery, the automation of KEMSA's functions and business processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the medical supplies ordering system. This transformative instrument will help with ordering supplies and also reporting of consumption which is a first in the public health sector ", Said Mr. James Macharia -Cabinet Secretary for Health

The service which is accessible from USSD and basic GSM phones will enable Public health facility workers and county health management teams report consumption of medical supplies and place orders through the mobile phone. The facilities will be equipped with a mobile phone and subscription opened to the health facility managers responsible for requisitions.

"The Ministry of Health and KEMSA identified the need to monitor resources and supplies that stakeholders may utilize especially in health facilities that have no access to computers. This commodity tracking service will help bridge capacity gaps, inform on additional outreach activities and promote equitable distribution of resources so that all health facilities have access to the same commodities" said, John Munyu -CEO., KEMSA

KEMSA e-mobile; a suite of applications rides on the logistics management Information system (LMIS) integrated within the medical suppliers ERP platform and is expected to bring critical decision making data closer to the health facility managers and other stakeholders.- the 'health committee comprising of doctors,nurses,health managers and other stakeholders.

"The system works in such a way that each health facility will have a unique mobile number registered to it, and the designated resource will be required to subscribe to the service upon which they get a unique code to access the platform. On registration, the system allows the authorized personnel to place an order,track the delivery process or even make queries directly from KEMSA", said Mr.Tony Mbugua- GM,Fintech