Kenyan service provider Safaricom has been in the news this week for an initiative involving healthcare – and also for a sustainability-linked loan.
The company has reportedly collaborated with a coalition of businesses to introduce a multi-million-dollar Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System (IHTS system) in Kenya to support the Ministry of Health.
Safaricom will lead a partnership that includes Apeiro, said to be a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based investment firm, Sirius International Holding, and East Africa-based local technology firm Konvergenz Network Solutions to deliver the IHITS.
These three partners will invest roughly US$815 million over ten years to develop, manage and support the IHTS system, beginning in February 2025. The consortium will recover the investment through monthly instalments based on the successful completion of key milestones.
The project’s key component, according to ITWeb Africa, is the establishment of a Health Information Exchange. This will enhance interoperability among all health systems in the country, allowing for the unification of patient records across healthcare facilities, boosting efficiency and continuity of service.
The project also aims to develop a Standards-Based Integrated Hospital Management Information System to digitise public health facilities. The initiative will provide a comprehensive infrastructure for Kenya’s digital healthcare ecosystem.
This will feature a locally hosted health cloud, devices such as tablets and PCs for healthcare personnel, and a secure mobile and fixed network infrastructure across public health facilities. Power backup systems will ensure uninterrupted operations.
Cybersecurity, patient data protection and compliance with Kenyan legislation will also be part of the package, along with training support, project management, and the rollout of technology components nationwide.
Safaricom has also this week announced that it has raised about US$116.73 million via the second tranche of a sustainability-linked loan from a consortium of local banks. The sustainability-linked loan programme began last year with a similar amount in the first tranche.
The cash will be used for such investments as the conversion of Safaricom’s transmission sites to renewable energy instead of expensive and polluting diesel.
