The Health Minister, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced the rollout of a comprehensive digital platform known as the Ghana Health Information Management System (GHIMS), designed to reassert state control over health data and bridge the gap created by the defunct Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS).
The Minister made the announcement at the Government Accountability Series held at the Jubilee House, where he outlined a structured four-week implementation plan to roll out the new system nationwide.
Hon. Akandoh explained that the GHIMS initiative was conceived to address a series of challenges that emerged from Ghana’s previous health data system. “In our search for solutions, we became aware of the problems that brought us here. These are problems that we solved one after the other,” he said.
The Minister identified the first major issue as ownership of software—a problem that had left the state without control over its own digital infrastructure.
“The first problem was that the software did not belong to the state. So, when we looked for new software, the software must be for the state. Today, we have the Ghana Health Information Management System (GHIMS), and this isn’t for any individuals.”
Health Minister, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
According to Hon. Akandoh, the Ministry faced significant obstacles in recovering data from Lightwave Health Information Management System after the vendor refused to hand over existing records.
“Due to the refusal of Lightwave to hand over the existing data, and because all the claims were made to the National Health Insurance Authority, we took data from there to construct the new one. So we have 14 to 15 million people’s data constructed with 71 to 72 million visits.”
Health Minister, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
This reconstruction of patient data through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Minister noted, provides the foundation for a more resilient, government-owned database that integrates the full spectrum of health service delivery in the country.
National Health Data Exchange
Hon. Akandoh further revealed that the second critical reform introduced under GHIMS is the establishment of a National Health Data Exchange—a digital platform that regulates data sharing between the health sector and other institutions.
“There was no exchange. So we established an exchange where, even if we invite a vendor, the vendor sets up shop, and there will be no direct integration between our Ghana Information Management System and other sectors. It will be necessary to go through the exchange process.”
Health Minister, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
This reform, he noted, was central to protecting Ghana’s digital sovereignty by ensuring that external vendors could no longer monopolize access to national health information.
“We realized that we were going to encounter these difficulties because the system was monopolized. There was only one person who had control over it. The solution, once again, is that we are creating an open and regulated environment”.
Health Minister, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
Under the defunct LHIMS, only 450 out of 950 targeted health facilities were verified and connected. The Minister said the new GHIMS rollout would build upon this base, expanding integration and ensuring transparency in how facilities and vendors participate.
“Therefore, we have a maximum of approximately 500 health facilities left, and moving forward, we will open the doors so that businesses and employees in the sector can purchase them, provided they meet the necessary conditions.
“We will then open them up and allow them to proceed through the exchange process—the means by which we can ensure that, in the future, we don’t come back to where we are now.”
Health Minister, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
Four-Week Implementation Schedule
Hon. Akandoh outlined a detailed four-week implementation schedule for the GHIMS rollout, which will start immediately. “The plan, going forward, is that in the next week, we’ll start with the teaching hospitals, regional hospitals, and the very popular district hospitals, rolling them out into the GHIMS system,” he said.
“In the second week, we’ll look at the rest of the district hospitals, and in the third week, we’ll look at the polyclinics, care centers, and CHPS compounds. In the fourth week, we’ll do the mop-ups.
“So, I am confident I can announce to the good people in this country that we have a four-week plan. This is what will get us out of this mess.”
Health Minister, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
The launch of GHIMS represents a critical moment for Ghana’s digital health governance, particularly following growing concerns about foreign data hosting and vendor monopolies.
The new system, developed and managed under direct state supervision, is expected to give the Ministry of Health full access and control over patient records and institutional data.
Officials of the Ministry of Health say GHIMS will integrate with the National Health Insurance database, creating a unified platform that supports patient record management, hospital administration, insurance claims, and public health monitoring.
The Minister also hinted at incorporating data analytics tools to improve disease surveillance and policy planning. The introduction of GHIMS comes amid increasing calls from civil society for greater accountability and data protection in Ghana’s health sector.
Data protection advocates, including democracy and development experts, have warned against the dangers of outsourcing sensitive national health data to private or foreign entities without clear oversight.
For the Health Minister, however, GHIMS is more than just a technological upgrade—it is a structural correction to restore trust and integrity to Ghana’s health information ecosystem.
He stressed that the ultimate goal of GHIMS is to improve service delivery, protect citizens’ data, and ensure that public health management in Ghana is anchored on transparency, efficiency, and national ownership.
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