Daktari Smart expands to reach 50,000 children in 10 counties
The second phase will also train 800 healthcare workers and 1,150 community health promoters to improve access to specialised paediatric care in underserved areas.
In September 2023, the Daktari Smart telemedicine programme, a joint initiative by Gertrude’s Hospital Foundation and the M-PESA Foundation, will extend its reach to ten counties in Kenya, aiming to serve over 50,000 children by August 2027. This second phase of the programme also includes training 800 healthcare workers and 1,150 community health promoters, with the goal of improving access to specialized pediatric care in underserved regions.
Since its inception in 2021, Daktari Smart has already reached more than 27,000 children in Samburu, Homa Bay, Baringo, Narok, and Lamu counties. The expansion was unveiled during a review meeting held in Lamu from September 23 to 24, where partners discussed the integration of telemedicine into the county health systems. Carol Waweru, Head of Impact Programmes at Gertrude’s Hospital Foundation, emphasized that the program's impact extends beyond technology.
She highlighted that Daktari Smart aims to bring specialist knowledge within the reach of children and families who might otherwise face long travel distances, delays, and additional costs to access necessary medical care.
The programme has already conducted over 8,000 telemedicine sessions in 2026, leading to specialized treatments for several children, including surgery for cleft lip and palate and heart conditions. Currently, the second phase operates in six sites, with five additional sites under construction. Services are anticipated to commence in October in Turkana, Kwale, Vihiga, Laikipia, and Makueni counties.
In addition to expanding its reach, Daktari Smart will also focus on strengthening referral systems and training healthcare workers and community health promoters. This includes specialized paediatric nurse training, with 205 nurses across Kenya trained so far, including two nurses in Lamu. The program employs various medical equipment, such as electronic stethoscopes, vital-sign monitors, high-resolution cameras, ultrasound machines, otoscopes, and ECG devices, to facilitate real-time consultations between health workers in participating facilities and specialists at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital.
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