Isiolo County Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya is set to improve its revenue collection and internal control system by going cashless. Effective April 24, 2023, patients will be able to make payments through the Paybill Account number 4098977, Lipa na Mpesa. Deputy Governor James Lowasa said that electronic payments are much safer than cash and will increase the value of the internal control system. The hospital’s systemized services will save time and increase efficiency, transaction, and accountability, hence bringing budget discipline. The move to cashless transactions will also track all transactions and reduce theft within the system.
Governor Abdi Hassan believes that going cashless will boost revenue collection and prevent fund pilferage, while Lowasa adds that systemized services will improve accountability, transaction, and efficiency. Counties like Nairobi have already gone cashless in their hospitals, and it is a step towards better healthcare service delivery.
The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority announced in 2021 that it would be delivering family planning commodities and other essential medicines to health facilities using a mobile application. They rolled out the Electronic Proof of Deliveries application to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in delivery. The e-POD app has GPS capabilities to ensure supplies are delivered to the right health facilities, and it also has a receipt and acknowledgement module for the facility to ensure the commodities are delivered in the right quantities.
The move to cashless transactions is expected to increase efficiency in healthcare service delivery, reduce theft, and boost revenue collection. It is a step towards better internal control systems and better healthcare service delivery. The adoption of technology in healthcare is an indication of progress towards a better future for the country.
