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Accra,Ghana, 29th October,2025: The Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has assured Ghanaians that the country’s health sector will not revert to the manual handling of medical records, as the Ministry has successfully rolled out the Ghana Health Information Management System (GHIMS). The Minister gave this assurance when he appeared at the Government Accountability Series at the Presidency on Wednesday 29th October, where he outlined the challenges inherited from the previous administration and the measures being implemented to protect the integrity of Ghana’s digital health system. Faulty Contract with Light Wave Systems According to Hon. Akandoh, the government in 2019 signed a $100 million contract with Light Wave Health Information Management System (LIMS) to connect 950 health facilities across the country. The contract, initially set to expire in 2022, was extended twice — finally ending on December 31, 2024 — due to poor execution. “At the end of the contract, only 450 out of the 950 health facilities had been connected, even though the vendor had already received about $77 million, representing over 70% of the total amount,” he revealed. The Minister described the project as a clear case of underperformance, explaining that despite the state paying most of the contract sum, less than half of the work had been completed. Forensic Audit Exposes Shoddy Work Upon assuming office, Hon. Akandoh said his ministry conducted a forensic audit of the project, which uncovered several irregularities. “Even the hardware supplied did not meet contractual specifications. Instead of HP laptops, cheaper brands were provided, and in several cases, the quantities delivered were less than agreed. The shortfall in hardware alone amounted to about $18 million,” he noted. He further disclosed that the system’s cloud infrastructure was hosted outside Ghana, in India, meaning the state had no administrative access to its own citizens’ medical data — a situation he described as “unconscionable.” Vendor Accused of Blackmail Hon. Akandoh revealed that after the expiration of the contract, the vendor refused to hand over the system and data to the state and even shut down the system intermittently. “The vendor insisted that we remove clauses from a proposed maintenance agreement that required them to hand over data and grant administrative access to the state. When we refused, they began shutting the system down at will. For over two months now, the system has been completely off. If this is not blackmail, I don’t know what it is,” he lamented. The Ministry, he added, referred the matter to the Attorney General and other appropriate authorities for advice and possible action. New System: Ghana Health Information Management System (GHIMS) To address these challenges and ensure data sovereignty, the Health Ministry has developed a new digital platform — the Ghana Health Information Management System (GHIMS). “The new system belongs entirely to the state,” Hon. Akandoh emphasized. “It is a home-grown solution designed to ensure that Ghana maintains full control over its health data.” He explained that the new system also introduces a data exchange framework, which allows multiple approved vendors to integrate through a central platform rather than having a single monopoly. Implementation Plan Hon. Akandoh announced a four-week rollout plan for GHIMS across the country: • Week 1: Teaching hospitals, regional hospitals, and major district hospitals. • Week 2: Remaining district hospitals. • Week 3: Polyclinics, health centres, and CHPS compounds. • Week 4: Mopping up and nationwide synchronization. “In the next four weeks, Ghana’s health records system will be fully operational under GHIMS. We are moving forward responsibly, confidently, and decisively,” the Minister assured. Hon. Akandoh reaffirmed his commitment to transparency and accountability in the health sector, noting that Ghana’s digital health transition is irreversible. “We will not return to manual medical records. The future of Ghana’s healthcare is digital, secure, and fully Ghanaian,” he declared. Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭
