A storm is brewing within the health sector following comments made by the Ministry of Health’s spokesperson, Tony Goodman, who has challenged widely held notion about Zipline, the drone delivery operations.

Speaking in an interview on Kessben TV, Goodman claimed that the much-praised Zipline project — launched to revolutionize healthcare logistics — has instead been used to transport condoms and examination papers rather than essential medical supplies such as blood and emergency drugs, as previously advertised.

According to the Ministry’s spokesperson, the company’s operations have been exaggerated, alleging that Zipline’s drones often deliver non-critical items to health facilities and schools within its catchment areas.

“Zipline has not been delivering blood as people think. In most cases, it sends condoms and examination papers,” Goodman asserted, casting doubt on the project’s actual impact on the healthcare delivery.

The Zipline project, introduced under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2019, was initially touted as a groundbreaking initiative to bridge healthcare gaps in remote areas. The project has been replicated in the developed world learning from Ghana’s experience.

Through high-speed drones, Zipline was expected to deliver blood, vaccines, and emergency medical supplies to hard-to-reach communities.

The government partnered with Zipline International, a U.S.-based company, under a public-private agreement to establish drone distribution centers across the country.

Despite initial skepticism from some members of Parliament — particularly from the NDC side, who questioned the project’s cost-effectiveness and sustainability — Zipline soon won international praise for its swift deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic, when vaccines and test kits were distributed through its drone network.

Health professionals and local communities also attested to receiving life-saving supplies during emergencies.

However, Tony Goodman’s latest remarks have reignited the debate over the project’s real achievements and accountability.

His comments come amid what observers describe as a broader “reset agenda” within the Ministry of Health, which has reportedly led to the termination or review of several contracts inherited from the previous administration.

One such case involves Lightwave E-Health Solutions, the company behind the Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS), which has already been ordered to halt operations.

Industry watchers believe Zipline could be next in line, as the ministry reviews its partnership agreements.

Critics fear that such abrupt policy reversals could disrupt critical healthcare logistics and undermine years of progress in improving access to medical supplies in rural areas.

Meanwhile, some health analysts have dismissed Goodman’s assertions as politically motivated and lacking in evidence.