Minister of Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has revealed that the drone delivery service, Zipline Ghana, has been transporting non-emergency items, raising concerns over government spending.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, December 1, the Minister said items such as condoms and mosquito nets were among the products delivered by the service.
He also listed other items transported by Zipline, including blood-donor cards, food and nutrition supplies, adhesive tapes, syringes and needles, as well as educational materials such as 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 said.
He added, “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 explained that the government is engaging Zipline over the range of services provided and outstanding debts, emphasising the need to ensure value for money.
“We think that there must be value for money, therefore we are engaging them,” he said.
The comments come amid reports that Zipline has closed three of its operational centres over an outstanding GH¢174 million owed by the government.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has also called for the full termination of the contract, describing the drone delivery scheme as a mismanagement of public funds that has failed to provide value for money.
