The National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration and Agriculture has raised concerns over the integrity of the billing system used by Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).
This came to light during a session with MTRH officials led by Chief Executive Officer Dr. Philip Kirwa, where the committee, chaired by Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe, interrogated audit queries flagged in the Auditor General’s reports on the hospital’s financial statements.
Why MPs questioned MTRH billing system
One of the key concerns was the continued use of the Funsoft Health Management Information System (HMIS) for billing and invoicing patients, which the committee found problematic.
“The system is not integrated. Doctor consultations and prescriptions are not seamlessly linked with pharmacy and ward billing,” Wangwe noted. “It’s troubling that manual invoices are being issued despite the hospital using the system for over ten years.”
Although a 2017 audit by the Ministry of ICT found the Funsoft HMIS to be functional, hospital management cited unreliability as the reason for reverting to manual invoicing.
In response, Dr. Kirwa explained that MTRH has since begun transitioning to a new, non-proprietary Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system tailored to the hospital’s specific needs.
“While the system is not entirely free developers were paid for customization it was more cost-effective than procuring commercial software,” said Dr. Kirwa. “We are also undertaking major upgrades to our network infrastructure to support the new system.”
However, the committee raised concerns about the certification and credibility of the new ERP system.
“We need you to write to the auditors to get an independent opinion,” urged MP Wangwe. “The Ministry of ICT has a department that can assess whether this homegrown system meets acceptable standards.”
Additionally, the committee queried the hospital’s lack of an ICT Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) and IT Continuity Plan critical elements for effective IT resource management and emergency preparedness.
Dr. Kirwa acknowledged the gaps but noted ongoing efforts to modernize operations.
“The hospital is progressively adopting ICT and automating processes. As systems evolve, we are investing in upgraded infrastructure, including our data centre and networks,” he said.
The committee urged MTRH to fast-track full integration and certification of its ICT systems to ensure accountability and service efficiency.
