Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has raised concerns over the operations of Zipline Ghana, the government-contracted drone delivery service, after it was revealed that a significant portion of its activities involved non-emergency items.
Addressing the media at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, December 1, the Minister said the drones have been transporting products such as condoms, mosquito nets, blood-donor cards, syringes, adhesives, food and nutrition items, as well as educational materials like textbooks and uniforms.
“The services were to concentrate on hard-to-reach areas and emergency services, but upon review of the activities, the hard-to-reach areas constitute only 12% of their activities, and emergency services constitute only 4% of their activities,” he noted.
“It will interest you to know some of the items they fly. Items like condoms, blood-donor cards, mosquito nets, food and nutrition items, adhesive tapes, syringes and needles, education materials like textbooks and uniforms, among other things.”
Mr. Akandoh said the government is engaging Zipline to ensure value for money and to resolve outstanding debts. Reports indicate Zipline has closed three of its operational centres over an unpaid GH¢174 million owed by the government.
