Community Health Promoters during a skills training workshop in Turkana countyTurkana county has started replacing One-Time Password (OTP) verification with biometric patient screening in 167 public health facilities under the Taifa Care programme to curb fraud and strengthen accountability in healthcare services.
The county's health department said biometric registration and authentication devices have been distributed to Level II health facilities across all 11 sub-counties to support Social Health Authority (SHA) operations and claims processing.
The rollout is being implemented in partnership with the Digital Health Agency (DHA) and Safaricom PLC.
Under the previous system, patients were verified using OTP messages sent to mobile phones before accessing healthcare services.
Governor Jeremiah Lomurukai has welcomed the initiative saying it’s a key measure in enhancing healthcare for residents.
“We are working with the national government on all programmes aimed at ensuring access to quality healthcare by residents of Turkana,” Lomurukai said.
The initiative aims to reduce the risk of identity theft and impersonation, prevent duplicate or fraudulent enrolments, and ensure that access to services is limited to rightful beneficiaries.
The devices will enhance patient identification, improve service delivery, and strengthen accountability within the healthcare system.
Medical services chief officer Gilchrist Lokoe patient authentication, care management, and follow-up processes will now be faster, more secure, and more efficient.
He welcomed the transition, noting that the technology will significantly improve the integrity of healthcare services.
“The technology will help reduce fraud by ensuring healthcare funds are utilised only by genuine beneficiaries, thereby safeguarding the integrity and sustainability of Taifa Care,” Lokoe said.
New devices will also reduce paperwork and minimise manual data-entry errors, significantly reducing waiting times for beneficiaries during registration.
“The biometric system uniquely links a patient’s physical identity, such as fingerprints, to their health identification records, eliminating the risk of unauthoriSed sharing of pre-authorisation approval codes and ensuring that services are accessed only by registered beneficiaries,” he said.
Eliud Eyangan who is the county ICT officer at the department, said the rollout of biometric devices is expected to strengthen digital health systems and improve patient experience in the effective implementation of Taifa Care.
At the same time, some 83 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) have been trained on developing play items and learning materials aimed at creating safe, stimulating environments for children under three years.
The training that was facilitated through a collaboration between the county government of Turkana and Amref Health Africa, focused on equipping CHPs with practical skills to design low-cost, home-based play materials, building on previous learning under the Nurturing Care Framework.
Martina Aoko Adega, Lead Trainer and TOT, Nurturing Care and Child Development, said the initiative strengthens the use of existing community structures to promote early childhood development.
“We should tap into community structures as a ready resource, especially the CHPs who have already been trained and are implementing the Tucheze Tustawi knowledge. Every time they come across expectant mothers or families with young children, it is an opportunity to educate them,” she said.
