The government has firmly rejected claims that it has terminated the Zipline Drone Emergency Services, countering reports circulated mainly by some opposition members from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking during the Government’s Accountability Series at the Presidency, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh clarified that the Ministry of Health is currently conducting a thorough value-for-money review of the drone service operations, which have been active since their launch in 2018.
Minister Akandoh revealed that, contrary to assurances from the previous administration that the drone services would not be financed through the consolidated fund, the government has in fact been disbursing substantial payments.
He stated, “Every month Ghana government was and is supposed to pay $88,000 per centre per month. $88,000 per centre per month. So if you do the computation we are paying more than, because we have six centres, so we are paying a little over half a million dollars every month for the services of the Drons.”
Highlighting an important aspect of the initial agreement, the minister recounted that the original intent was for the drone services to operate without government funds.
“He stressed, “What is more interesting, I think everybody needs to know, is a fact that in the beginning of this contract the idea was that we’re not going to use government of Ghana money to pay the services of the Drons. And I have the hands that’s here doing the debate on the floor of the house.”
He referenced past parliamentary debates where the former health minister insisted that financing would come from sources outside the public purse.
“And the quotation from the then minister responsible for health, I have it here. I think that the question was asked about why the signature of the minister responsible for finance then was missing in the contract. And he had this to say among other things, ‘Mr. Speaker, I would want to stress again that the Honourable Minister for Finance did not put his signature on because this is not going to be done from the consolidated account. The public purse is not going to come in here’,” Minister Akandoh recalled.
He further explained that this arrangement involved other stakeholders, including the Ghana Medical Association, who were also part of the discussions and negotiations.
“The whole discussion has to do with the fact that they were not going to pay from the government of Ghana fund. And some other stakeholders were engaged and I’ve had opportunity to verify from them, including the GMA then. And same argument was advanced,” he added.
Source: www.Kumasimail.com
