The Ministry of Health has intensified the rollout of biometric systems across healthcare facilities as part of efforts to strengthen real-time healthcare access and service delivery under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Health CS Aden Duale said the government has already installed biometric systems in more than 5,000 health facilities, mainly in public hospitals across the country.
According to the CS, the Ministry is now preparing to roll out an additional 3,000 biometric devices by the beginning of next week. The expansion is expected to support faster patient identification and improve efficiency in health service delivery.
“We already have over 5,000 facilities with biometrics, but mainly the public facilities. But we are also going to roll out another 3,000 by the beginning of next week,” Duale said.
He noted that the required supplies have already been delivered in Nairobi, with the remaining task being the training of healthcare workers on the use of the system.
The biometric rollout is part of the government’s broader push to digitise healthcare services and improve access under SHA. Under the system, patients can be identified using fingerprints instead of physical cards.
“So that’s why you see SHA has no card. SHA is your thumb,” Duale stated.
Teachers Among Key Beneficiaries
The Ministry highlighted teachers as one of the major groups currently benefiting from the system.
Duale said over 43,000 teachers have already been served within the last five months, demonstrating the scale and efficiency of the platform.
“But I want to say to the Kenyan people that you can see the volume of teachers we have served in five months. As of today, we have served 43,000 teachers,” he said.
The CS added that the system operates in real time, enabling quicker verification and access to medical services for beneficiaries.
“Our system is real time. And Dr. Mangani and the whole team, they are all geared to make sure that we afford the best healthcare to our teachers,” he said.
He emphasised the important role teachers play in society, saying the government remains committed to ensuring they receive quality healthcare services.
“They take care of our children and we have no choice,” Duale added.
