Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, has called on the government to reconsider Ghana’s contract with Zipline, the drone delivery company responsible for distributing essential medical supplies to hard-to-reach communities.
His call follows revelations by the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, that only about 12% of Zipline’s deliveries were emergency supplies — a figure he says contradicts the primary objective of the agreement.
The minister disclosed that the contract is currently under audit, and the findings will determine the government’s next steps.
Zipline has already suspended operations at three of its centers due to an outstanding debt of over GH¢175 million.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament, Dr. Nawaane criticized former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, claiming he “misdiagnosed” the country’s medical supply challenges, leading to what he described as the “mistaken” engagement with Zipline.
According to the Nabdam MP, the funds spent on the partnership could have been used to construct cold rooms across districts to better support storage and distribution of essential medical supplies.
Turning to the 2026 budget, Dr. Nawaane commended the government for allocating 12.3% of total revenue to the health sector.
However, he appealed for the removal of the cap on internally generated funds (IGF) for all agencies under the Health Ministry, similar to what was done for the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
He argued that the existing cap is undermining the ability of agencies to operate effectively.
Dr. Nawaane, who has practiced as a medical doctor for more than 32 years, also urged government to provide accommodation for newly posted doctors, describing it as an important incentive to support their work in various communities.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
