Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions Responds to Minister’s Allegations Over LHIMS Contract
Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions Ltd has issued a statement setting the record straight on allegations made by Ghana’s Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, regarding the Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS) contract.
Background of the Contract
The company was contracted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to develop and implement the National E-Healthcare Programme, with a contract price of $100 million for 950 health facilities. The contract was signed in March 2019 and was set to be completed within 36 months. However, the project experienced delays, and the contract expired on December 31, 2024, without being renewed.
Allegations and Response
The Minister alleged that Lightwave had executed less than 50% of the contractually agreed scope of work, despite being paid 77% of the contract sum. However, Lightwave explained that the payment and deployment figures are not directly correlated, as different types of health facilities carry different weights in terms of financial allocation and scope of work.
Contract Breakdown
Teaching Hospitals 4 facilities, 21% of contract price
Regional Hospitals: 6 facilities, 22% of contract price
-District Hospitals: 243 facilities, 29% of contract price
Lightwave claims to have deployed the system in all 4 teaching hospitals, all 6 regional hospitals, and all 243 district hospitals, entitling them to receive 72% of the contract price.
Other Key Points
Data Ownership Lightwave emphasized that the electronic health data of Ghanaians remains the exclusive property of the MOH, and the company only licensed the LHIMS software to the MOH.
Payment Issues: Lightwave claims that the MOH has delayed payments, leading to financial constraints and delays in implementation.
Services Outside Contract: The company has provided additional services worth $25 million at the request of the MOH, for which they have not been paid.
Current Status: Despite the impasse, LHIMS is still operational in approximately 211 facilities, including major hospitals like Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and Eastern Regional Hospital.
Conclusion
Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions remains committed to working with the MOH to ensure quality healthcare delivery for Ghanaians. The company has expressed its willingness to complete the deployment in outstanding health facilities and resolve the current impasse .
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