An Egyptian health technology company has moved to challenge a court order to halt its radiology services in Kenya following concerns over the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and telemedicine.
Rology Medical Kenya filed an urgent application seeking orders blocking implementation of the judgment that halted its business pending compliance with Kenyan health and data protection laws.
The application has been certified urgent and is scheduled for directions on June 24, escalating a dispute that could shape the regulation of digital healthcare, telemedicine and patient data transfers.
The move comes days after a Nairobi court ordered the immediate suspension of the firm’s operations, finding that regulators failed to ensure it complied with medical licensing and data protection requirements before offering radiology services in Kenya.
The court also directed the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) to cancel any licences, approvals or authorisations issued to the company relating to the handling, storage or processing of patients’ health records through its digital platforms.
The case was brought by officials of the Kenya Association of Radiologists, who argued that the company’s model exposed patients to privacy risks and undermined professional oversight of medical services.
At the centre of the dispute is Rology’s platform, which links hospitals with radiologists in different countries to interpret medical images and return reports to local healthcare facilities.
The company told the court that the platform was designed to address shortages of radiologists and improve access to specialist diagnostic services, particularly in underserved areas.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Rology also said important facts about its operating model, licensing arrangements, clinical governance structures, patient-safety systems and data protection safeguards were not properly presented before the court.
“Rology strongly believes that important facts regarding Rology Kenya’s operating model, licensing arrangements, clinical governance, data protection safeguards, and patient-safety processes were not properly presented before the Court,” the company said as it seeks to regain its operating licence.
“We are hopeful that the court will find in our favour, enabling us to seamlessly continue providing critical support to our patients,” the company said.
Rology said it had worked with hospitals across Kenya to reduce reporting backlogs, ease pressure on radiologists and improve turnaround times for diagnostic reports.
The company previously told the court that it had supported more than 60,000 patients and worked with about 40 public health facilities.
It also rejected allegations that Artificial Intelligence generated diagnoses without human oversight.
According to court filings, the company said its platform matched medical images uploaded by hospitals with qualified radiologists and that reports were reviewed and validated by Kenyan-licensed radiologists before release. The petitioners, however, argued that radiological images and patient information were being transferred outside Kenya without adequate disclosure to patients.
They contended that patients were not informed about the identities, qualifications or locations of professionals preparing reports and that the arrangement raised concerns over privacy, consumer protection and professional accountability.
In its judgment, the court held that questions raised in the case extended beyond administrative compliance and touched on constitutional rights linked to privacy, healthcare and consumer protection.
The judge found that regulators had failed to adequately address concerns about whether the company was properly registered and licensed to provide health services in Kenya.
The court said registration requirements were not mere procedural formalities but safeguards intended to protect patients and ensure accountability in healthcare delivery.
The ruling came as Kenya expands the use of digital health technologies to bridge shortages of specialist medical personnel, particularly outside major cities.
