Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has announced the resolution of a two-day system downtime that temporarily disrupted patient services and administrative processes at the hospital.
In a statement on Wednesday, January 15, KNH CEO Dr. Evanson Kamuri reassured the public that normal operations have resumed following the alignment of the Social Health Authority (SHA) system with KNH’s internal systems.
"Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) wishes to acknowledge a slight lapse in patient care today and reassure the public that the Social Health Authority (SHA) system is now fully operational and aligned with the KNH system. Normal operations have resumed, and patients are being attended to.
"The recent system downtime experienced over the last two days temporarily disrupted some services, causing delays in patient clearance and administrative processes. We deeply regret the inconvenience this may have caused to our patients and their families," the statement read.
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Kamuri extended an apology for the disruptions, noting that proper arrangements have been put in place to address the backlog caused during the system downtime.
"To address the backlog caused by the downtime and expedite service delivery, additional personnel have been deployed across all affected departments with extended working hours. KNH is fully committed to ensuring that all pending cases are resolved promptly and efficiently," the statement added.
Kamuri reiterated the hospital’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of care and professionalism.
"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused during this period and thank our patients and the public for their understanding and patience. As Kenya's leading referral hospital, we are dedicated to upholding the highest standards of care and professionalism," the statement concluded.
The statement comes hours after frustrated patients stormed the media press briefing by Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mulongo to express their displeasure over delays in the new health system.
During the incident, patients lamented over the downtime experienced in the system, claiming that hospitals were unwilling to treat them before getting pre-authorization.
"Others have come from Kibwezi and Mombasa. SHA is not working and approving. Since Wednesday last week, their systems have been down. We've gone to the offices of SHA, the ICT department even the pre-authorization and they are not able to give any access because they are not able to get into the portal," one patient stated.
