The Ministry of Health announced that hospitals will transition from using the Social Health Authority (SHA) Provider Portal to the Health Management Information System (HMIS) as the primary platform for managing patient care and related data.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said confusion arose because many facilities were operating both the SHA portal and their own HMIS for daily tasks, creating extra administrative work for staff.

Under the new arrangement, the hospital's HMIS will handle patient registration, admissions, treatment, billing and other services, while still communicating with SHA and other health‑sector systems.

The ministry clarified that no brand‑new system is being introduced; the change builds on the existing digital superhighway and the suite of SHA systems already paid for.

By consolidating workflows into a single HMIS, health workers are expected to face fewer manual entries, reducing errors and speeding up admissions, consultations, billing and claims processing.

Hospital managers will gain improved visibility over patients, staff, medicines, supplies and finances, helping them plan resources and make service‑delivery decisions more effectively.

Linking claims directly to information captured at the point of care should enhance claim accuracy, accelerate payments and aid SHA and other payers in detecting duplicate or inconsistent transactions.

The ministry’s broader goal is an interoperable digital health ecosystem where a core HMIS connects securely with external platforms for medicines, supplies and equipment, moving away from fragmented digital tools.

Officials acknowledged that the shift will require technical integration, adjustments and support for health workers and facilities to ensure a smooth rollout.