Minority demands answers over nationwide shutdown of health information systems

The Minority in Parliament has called on the government to account for the nationwide disruption of critical health information systems, raising concerns about the Ministry of Health’s financial management, oversight responsibilities and digital health strategy.

In a statement issued on Friday, November 6, 2026, and signed by the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr Nana Ayew Afriye, the Minority expressed disappointment in the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) over the development.

The Minority recalled that in October 2025, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, announced the introduction of the Ghana Health Information Management System (GHIMS) to replace the Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS).

The government had presented GHIMS as a state-owned platform intended to strengthen national control over health data and reduce reliance on private service providers.

However, the Minority said the Ghana Health Service, in a communication dated November 2, 2026, disclosed that critical electronic health information systems, including DHIMS2, had been inaccessible since October 29, following the suspension of 10 servers by Akamai over an outstanding payment of US$64,510.95.

Although GHIMS and DHIMS2 serve different purposes, the Minority noted that both are integral to Ghana’s wider digital health infrastructure.

It argued that the disruption raised serious questions about the sustainability of the government’s digital health policy and its capacity to protect essential national health information systems.

The Minority described developments under the leadership of Mr Akandoh as deeply troubling, particularly given the government’s assurances that GHIMS would address longstanding weaknesses in the country’s digital health infrastructure.

It further pointed to an increase in the Ministry of Health’s budget from approximately GH¢17.8 billion in 2025 to GH¢22.8 billion in 2026, representing a 28% nominal rise.

While acknowledging that the allocations covered the entire Ministry, the Minority said the public deserved a detailed account of the resources specifically committed to GHIMS and related digital infrastructure, as well as the results achieved.

It also questioned the Ministry’s financial planning, contract management and institutional oversight, asking how 10 servers supporting critical health information systems could be suspended over an outstanding payment of approximately US$64,511.

The statement said the Minority was particularly disappointed that unresolved contractual obligations had been allowed to result in a nationwide disruption of essential health information services.

To address the situation, the Minority Health Committee has demanded the immediate restoration of the affected systems, alongside a clear timeline for their full operational recovery.

It has also called for a detailed account of GHIMS expenditure, including budgetary allocations, actual spending, implementation progress and integration with existing health information platforms.

Additionally, the Minority wants an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Akamai’s suspension of the servers to establish institutional responsibility and ensure appropriate corrective measures are taken.

It has further proposed an independent audit of Ghana’s digital health infrastructure, covering hosting arrangements, system interoperability, data security and business continuity measures.

The Minority is also urging the government to establish sustainable financing arrangements and infrastructure safeguards to prevent similar disruptions in the future.

It pledged to use its parliamentary oversight responsibilities to pursue accountability and ensure that the situation does not recur.

“It is unacceptable for critical national health information systems to remain vulnerable to disruption over unresolved administrative and financial obligations,” the statement said.