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NHIS reverts to manual processes amid LHIMS crisis

Ghana’s much-touted digital health agenda is facing a major setback, as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) scrambles to revert to manual and semi-digital systems following the disruption of the Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS).

At the heart of the crisis is Lightwave eHealthcare Solutions Limited, the private firm that has operated the LHIMS platform for over a decade. Despite its consistent service in digitizing patient records, streamlining claims processing, and supporting healthcare delivery nationwide, Lightwave has been left in financial limbo due to prolonged non-payment of invoices by the Ministry of Health.

Although the Ministry recently offered verbal assurances and requested that the company resume full service, no concrete payments have been made, and the draft agreement proposed fell far below. what Lightwave described as a sustainable or fair partnership. As a result, the company was forced to realign its staffing and resources, leading to widespread disruptions in hospitals and clinics that depend on LHIMS.

In the wake of this disruption, the NHIS has announced a reversion to older, less efficient systems.an internal memo from NHIS Chief Executive Dr. Victor Asare Bampoe to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS),

While framed as a temporary solution, the move reveals a deeper issue: the government’s failure to build a resilient and well-supported digital infrastructure for healthcare. Instead of holding Lightwave to account or resolving the core financial dispute in a transparent and timely manner, NHIS is shifting the burden onto already strained health facilities, many of which are now forced to juggle multiple platforms with limited resources and minimal training.

What’s more, there is little accountability in how the NHIS and Ministry of Health are handling the crisis. Rather than resolve the payment dispute and restore LHIMS functionality through proper engagement and transparency, institutions are improvising risking patient data, delaying claims reimbursement, and increasing the administrative burden on healthcare workers.

Lightwave, for its part, has reaffirmed its commitment to healthcare delivery, even reinstating furloughed staff over the weekend in a bid to restore services.

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