A fierce controversy has erupted between the Ministry of Health and Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions Ltd, the technology firm behind the National E-HealthCare Programme, following allegations by the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, that the company mishandled public funds, breached data protocols, and failed to deliver on its contractual obligations.

In a strongly worded statement released in Accra, Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions Ltd described the Minister’s public remarks as “inaccurate, misleading and damaging,” insisting that it has fulfilled its obligations under the $100 million national e-health contract signed with the government in March 2019.

Background

The controversy stems from Ghana’s National E-HealthCare Programme, a flagship digital initiative launched under President John Dramani Mahama first administration in 2016.

The programme sought to digitize patient records, link hospitals nationwide, and establish a centralized health data system to improve efficiency and coordination across health facilities.

The project was implemented in two phases. Phase One, worth $6 million, was awarded to Lightwave E-Healthcare Services LLC (its U.S.-based sister company) and successfully deployed in 23 facilities in the Central Region, including the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, by December 2017.

Following the successful pilot, the Nana Akufo-Addo administration approved and signed Phase Two in 2019 with Lightwave’s Ghanaian subsidiary, Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions Ltd, to expand the system to 950 health facilities nationwide.

The contract was approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and pegged at $100 million, with a 36-month completion period.

The Minister’s Allegations

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, speaking on the floor of Parliament on October 28 and at the Presidential Accountability Series on October 29, alleged that the company failed to meet key milestones, despite receiving about 77 percent of the total contract sum.

According to the Minister, “only 450 out of 950 health facilities were connected by the end of 2024, representing less than 50 percent of the work,” yet Lightwave had received over $77 million. He further alleged that a forensic audit revealed substandard hardware deliveries, missing equipment worth $29 million, and that Ghana’s health data was being controlled from servers in India, outside government access.

He also accused the company of refusing to hand over administrative control of the system and of holding the state “to ransom,” leading to disruptions in healthcare delivery.

Lightwave’s Response

In a statement at press time, Lightwave dismissed the Minister’s assertions as “falsehoods and politically motivated distortions.”

According to the company, all patient data generated through the e-health programme is owned and stored by the Ministry of Health in a centralized data repository located at the Ministry’s data center in Accra—not in India.

“The company has no control or custody over the electronic health data of any Ghanaian,” the statement said. “The data sits on servers physically located at the Ministry, and access is solely governed by the Ministry’s data management protocols.”

The company explained that while it developed the software—the Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS)—the intellectual property rights of the software remain with Lightwave, but the Ministry was granted a license to use it under the contract.

Defense On Contract Execution And Payments

Lightwave also countered the claim that it delivered less than 50 percent of the project, providing detailed breakdowns to show that the financial allocations per facility type varied widely.

“The deployment at four teaching hospitals alone accounted for 21 percent of the total contract value,” the statement explained.

“Meanwhile, all teaching hospitals, all six regional hospitals, and 243 district and municipal hospitals were fully deployed by December 2024, representing 72 percent of the project’s value.”

The company said the Ministry’s own policy directed it to follow a “top-down approach”—starting from teaching hospitals to smaller facilities—and therefore, measuring progress by facility count rather than contract value was “misleading.”

Lightwave also revealed that the Ministry had extended the contract twice, in 2023 and 2024, acknowledging delays caused by late payments, slow approvals, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

It further noted that it had not been paid for eight months of post-contract work in 2025, despite ministerial directives to continue providing system support.

Rebuttal On Hardware

Responding to allegations of substandard equipment and shortfalls in supply, Lightwave said it fully complied with contract specifications and, in several instances, delivered higher-grade hardware than required.

“The contract permitted equivalent or superior specifications. The Minister’s claims are not supported by any official inspection reports,” the company stated.

It also refuted the assertion that it failed to supply the agreed quantity of laptops, noting that the contract required 9,544 laptops—not 13,172 as claimed—and that 7,060 had already been supplied, with the remainder earmarked for pending facility deployments.

Outstanding Payments and Additional Work

Lightwave disclosed that it is still owed payments for work completed and for additional integration services worth $25 million, including linking the system with the National Health Insurance Authority, the Births and Deaths Registry, and major banks — work it says was done at the Ministry’s request but outside the contractual scope.

The company said it continues to support 211 active health facilities nationwide, including the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Eastern Regional Hospital, and Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, despite the current standoff with the Ministry.

GHIMS To Replace LHIMS

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has announced the rollout of a new digital system—the Ghana Health Information Management System (GHIMS)—to replace LHIMS.

According to Minister, Mintah Akandoh, GHIMS is a fully state-owned platform designed to ensure national data sovereignty and prevent any single vendor from monopolizing health data.

The new system integrates with the National Health Insurance Authority’s database, allowing real-time access to patient records nationwide.

A four-week phased rollout is already underway, starting with teaching and regional hospitals.

The Minister also revealed that findings from the forensic audit on LHIMS have been referred to the Attorney-General and relevant security agencies for further investigation and possible prosecution.

A Digital Health Turning Point

The standoff between the Ministry and Lightwave has left the digital health agenda at a crossroads.

While the second NDC, John Mahama’s government insists it is correcting systemic failures and reclaiming control of national data, Lightwave warns that politicizing the issue risks undoing nearly a decade of progress in e-health digitization.

“The LHIMS has operated efficiently for nine years and remains a model for several African countries,” the company said. “We remain ready to work with the Ministry to complete the programme and ensure no disruption to healthcare delivery.”