Former Health Minister Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye has challenged his successor, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, to publicly disclose the company contracted to implement the new Ghana Health Information Management System (GHIMS), which is set to replace the existing Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS).
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Dr. Okoe-Boye accused Mr Akandoh of sidelining the ministry’s IT Department and abandoning proper procedures in managing the transition to the new system.
“If he is man enough, he should make the name of the company public. I dare him,” Okoe-Boye stated emphatically.
The former Ledzokuku MP further claimed that Akandoh has refused to collaborate with the Ministry of Health’s IT Department and the Ghana Health Service, both of which have been integral to the ministry’s health digitisation steering committee.
“The attitude where new ministers sideline professionals they inherit must stop. He has refused to be part of the process, and that’s why there’s so much confusion now,” he added.
Dr. Okoe-Boye also dismissed Akandoh’s recent assertion that Ghana’s health data was being stored in India as “completely false”.
“All of Ghana’s health data is on the first floor of the Ministry of Health. Lightwave, like every credible tech company, has offshore support for data protection. That doesn’t mean our data is hosted abroad; it’s a safeguard,” he explained.
He further accused the Health Minister of creating unnecessary panic by implying the nation’s health data was at risk, calling it “a storm in a teacup”.
“He is giving the impression of a looming emergency. If you don’t work with your own IT Department, this is what happens. One day, something big might occur,” he warned.
Dr. Okoe-Boye also raised concerns about the procurement process behind the new software, hinting at possible breaches of official procedures.
“He didn’t follow due process. Did he go through a tender? How did he engage this company?” he questioned.
The Lightwave platform was initially launched to digitise Ghana’s healthcare records nationwide. However, under Akandoh, the Ministry of Health recently announced plans to phase it out and implement GHIMS—a move that has generated public debate over cost, transparency, and data security.
source: My Joy Online
