The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has accused Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions Limited, the contractors behind the National E-Healthcare Programme, of underperforming and retaining control over Ghanaian medical data through cloud servers hosted in India.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra, Akandoh claimed that despite receiving approximately $77 million, less than half of the project’s targeted 950 health facilities had been connected.
Key Points of Dispute:
- Project Progress: Akandoh stated that the company had completed less than half of the project, while Lightwave claimed to have completed deployments in all teaching and regional hospitals, as well as 243 district hospitals, entitling them to about 72% of the contract value.
- Data Control: Akandoh alleged that Lightwave was managing Ghanaian medical data from India, which the company vehemently denied, stating that all patient data is stored within Ghana’s Ministry of Health data center in Accra.
- Payment and Outstanding Work: Lightwave acknowledged receiving payments but claimed to have not been paid for eight months of post-contract work, amounting to significant financial strain. Akandoh’s office hasn’t commented on this claim.
- Hardware Supply: Akandoh’s office raised concerns about the supply of substandard hardware, which Lightwave refuted, stating that all equipment met contractual specifications and were subject to inspection and warranty clauses.
Lightwave’s Response:
In a detailed statement, Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions Limited described the Minister’s comments as “false, misleading, and damaging” to Ghana’s e-health progress. They emphasized their commitment to transparency, data sovereignty, and the continuity of healthcare digitization in Ghana.
Lightwave has expressed willingness to work with the Ministry to complete outstanding installations and ensure system reliability.
