Lodwar – November 10, 2025 (Public Communications and Media Relations)
The Department of Health and Sanitation is set to pilot the Intergrated Specimen Referral System (ISRS) through use of ‘riders’, to ensure timely delivery of samples at designated facilities for processing.
Supported by Amref Health Africa’s Imarisha Jamii, the program will involve riders who will transport specimens from spokes to the hubs for timely quality analysis and assurance.
Only 30% of health facilities have integrated referral systems with 56% of hubs perfoming better than 28% of spokes.
ISRS sets to improve disease surveillance, lead to faster treatment decisions, and make healthcare more equitable by reducing costs and travel burdens for patients.
Due to the vastness of Turkana County, the system is set to be piloted in Turkana North and Turkana Central sub-counties to be expanded to other sub-counties at a later stage.
Dr Ekiru Kidalio highlighted the importance of ISRS in laboratory diagnosis in ensuring timely and accurate diagnosis through a reliable transportation network for patient samples from all healthcare facilities (spokes) to advanced laboratories (hubs).
“This is a sustainable intervention, and we have to incorporate it with Primary Health Care, ultimately elevating Universal Health Coverage for sustainability,” he mentioned.
The Deputy Director for Clinical Services Samuel Lokemer reviewed the implementation plan on appointing and signing of appointment letters for ISRS sub-county coordinators and the secretariat led by a County Medical Laboratory Services Coordinator to conduct integration of samples across the county.
The County Medical Laboratory Services Coordinator, Alice Nataba, expounded on the need for county government to support ISRS activities for longevity.
Turkana East Laboratory Coordinator Winnie Logiel presented how the ISRS digital application operates, adding that a detailed scope of the system will be revealed in subsequent meetings.
Planned activities on ISRS implementation include dissemination of ISRS workplan, training of sub-county coordinators, sensitization of all healthcare facility staff, and conducting review performance of the piloted sub-counties.
In attendance were June Elaar, County Biomedical Coordinator, County Tuberculosis Leprosy and Abdirahman Musa, County TB, Leprosy, and Lung Diseases Coordinator, and Wamaya Rodgers, Disease Surveillance representative.
Amref Health Africa team included Mark Mwanja, Technical Lead, and Mike Loogos, Technical Advisor. Abraham Esekon from World Relief Kenya and Silah Lelei from the Center for Health Solutions were also present.
