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Dr Okoe Boye defends Lightwave, calls for fair resolution of e-health dispute
Former Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, has dismissed recent claims made against Lightwave e-Healthcare Solutions, the company that implemented Ghana’s National e-Health Project, describing the ongoing controversy as an attempt to “give a dog a bad name to hang it.”
In a statement titled “The LHIMS Controversy: A Case of Giving the Dog a Bad Name to Hang It,” Dr Okoe Boye outlined the background of the project and challenged what he described as misinformation surrounding its implementation and management.
He explained that the National e-Health Project began in 2016 to digitize and network all government health facilities. The initiative, which started with 25 facilities in the Central Region, was expanded after a successful pilot.
“Following approvals from the Public Procurement Authority and the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health signed a US$100 million contract in March 2019 with Lightwave e-Healthcare Solutions for a nationwide rollout” he revealed.
According to Dr Okoe Boye, Lightwave has so far digitized more than 450 health facilities, including four teaching hospitals, six regional hospitals, and over 240 district hospitals. More than 150,000 health workers have been trained under the project.
He noted that implementation delays were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, supply-chain challenges, and difficulties in compliance by some facilities. Payments so far total US$76.99 million, with about US$23 million outstanding.
The former minister disputed several claims made by the current Minister of Health, including suggestions that Lightwave is a foreign company and that Ghana’s health data is stored outside the country.
“Lightwave is a wholly Ghanaian-owned company, and all patient data is stored locally in servers managed by the Ministry of Health,” he stated.
Dr Okoe Boye questioned the government’s decision to engage a new company, the Ghana Health Information Management System (GHIMS), to replace Lightwave.
He argued that GHIMS is not a state-owned entity and has digitized fewer than five facilities, compared to the extensive work already completed by Lightwave.
He warned that replacing Lightwave could lead to data loss, financial waste, and disruption of health services for millions of Ghanaians.
“The logical approach would be to allow any new vendor to continue from where Lightwave left off, not to redo completed work,” he advised.
Dr Okoe Boye called on the Chief of Staff to intervene and mediate between the Ministry of Health and Lightwave e-Healthcare Solutions to ensure a fair and transparent resolution that safeguards Ghana’s investment and protects national health data.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Oxfam in Ghana donates medical equipment and essential drugs worth GH¢1.5 million to Kasoa Polyclinic
Oxfam in Ghana has donated medical equipment and essential drugs worth about GH¢1.5 million to the Kasoa Polyclinic to strengthen maternal and reproductive healthcare services in the municipality.
The presentation, which took place on Tuesday, June 24, 2026, at the premises of the clinic in Kasoa, formed part of the sustainability and legacy activities under the Power to Choose (P2C) Project.
The donated items included delivery beds, maternity beds, oxygen cylinders, neonatal resuscitation equipment, blood pressure monitors, newborn weighing scales, suction machines, delivery kits, essential medicines, medical theatre wear and other critical supplies to support quality healthcare delivery.
The Power to Choose Project is a seven-year initiative being implemented by Oxfam in Ghana in partnership with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), WiLDAF Ghana, SEND Ghana, Norsaac and PARDA, with funding from Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Quebec.
The project seeks to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people, particularly adolescent girls, young women and young men living in vulnerable and marginalised conditions.
Addressing nurses and management of the hospital, the Country Director for Oxfam in Ghana, Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, said the project, which began in 2021 and will run until early 2028, is being implemented in seven countries across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
He said Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the two African countries benefiting from the project.
Mr. Adam noted that the project has already trained about 102 health workers in areas including youth-friendly services, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, family planning, gender-based violence response, respectful maternity care and inclusive healthcare delivery.
He said Oxfam and its partners conducted assessments at beneficiary facilities and identified equipment needs to help improve healthcare delivery.
According to him, the donation would create safe spaces where young women and girls could seek healthcare services without fear or stigma and would improve health outcomes in the community.
Mr. Adam thanked the Government of Canada, the Ghana Health Service, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana (SOGOG), World Health Ghana and other partners for supporting the implementation of the project.
He urged the beneficiary facilities to ensure that the equipment is properly used and maintained to serve the community for many years.
A speech by the Municipal Health Director for Awutu Senya East, Dr. Stanley Kweku Yaidoo, which was read on his behalf by the Municipal Accountant, Rev. Dr. Askari Thomas, described the donation as timely and important.
He said quality healthcare delivery depends on manpower, financial resources and equipment, adding that healthcare workers cannot effectively deliver services without the necessary tools.
Dr. Yaidoo thanked Oxfam and its partners for selecting Kasoa as one of the beneficiary facilities and assured them that the equipment would be put to good use.
The Acting Medical Superintendent of Kasoa Polyclinic, Dr. Papa Kojo Arthur, expressed appreciation to Oxfam for its continuous support over the years through training and capacity building.
He said the equipment would greatly support the effective management of patients, particularly in maternal and child healthcare.
According to him, the donation would help reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in the municipality.
The donation formed part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of youth-friendly health facilities in eight implementing districts across five regions of Ghana to continue providing quality and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare services beyond the lifespan of the project.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts (MoTCCA) has announced that an electronic copy of Ghana’s revised National Cultural Policy is now available online for free access by the public and stakeholders in the creative sector.
In a statement issued on June 22, the ministry said the revised policy was officially launched on June 9, 2026, at the National Theatre of Ghana in Accra.
According to the ministry, the decision to upload the document on its official website is aimed at ensuring widespread dissemination, increasing public awareness and promoting the effective implementation of the policy.
The ministry encouraged sector practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public to visit its website and read the document.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, in the spirit of the Black Star Experience, remains committed to a transparent, inclusive and collaborative approach to building the better Ghana we want,” the statement said.
It added that it looks forward to the active participation of stakeholders in implementing the policy for the benefit of the country.
The ministry urged the public to take advantage of the free access to the policy document and familiarise themselves with its contents.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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