Health Minister Accuses Predecessor of Overpaying Contractor
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has accused his predecessor, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, of authorising excess payments of over $10.6 million to Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS), the company contracted to digitalise Ghana’s public health records.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, 30 October 2025, Mr Akandoh stated that official records from the ministry confirmed the overpayment and that the matter had been referred to the Attorney General’s Department for legal advice and potential prosecution.
“This is not a case of misunderstanding; it is clear that more money was paid than the work done,” he said. “Dr Okoe Boye himself admitted through his submissions that Lightwave has been overpaid by about $10.6 million.”
The Minister stressed that the payment violated the contract’s stipulations, which require payment only upon verified completion of work.
In response, Dr Okoe Boye maintained that the payments were legitimate and aligned with project milestones. He argued that the additional $10 million payment was made under an “advance certificate” provision — an accepted practice in large-scale infrastructure and technology contracts to ensure project continuity.
“The payments were not arbitrary. They were part of an advance certificate arrangement that allows for project acceleration and ensures the contractor meets delivery timelines,” he said in his defence.
However, Mr Akandoh dismissed this explanation, claiming that the LHIMS agreement contained no clause permitting advance disbursements. He reiterated that “the contract clearly states payment must follow verified progress of work, not pre-financing.”
The Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS) was launched in 2019 as a flagship project to integrate Ghana’s health data systems. The initiative was designed to connect hospitals, clinics, and laboratories through a unified electronic records network, making patient information easily accessible across facilities.
The project, valued at *$100 million, was awarded to *Lightwave eHealth Systems, a private ICT firm. The contract aimed to support Ghana’s broader digital transformation agenda, improve efficiency in healthcare delivery, and facilitate data-driven decision-making within the Ministry of Health (MoH).
However, by *December 2024, internal ministry audits revealed that Lightwave had received approximately **$77 million, representing over *70% of the contract sum. According to ministry data, this amount was paid despite less than half of the planned installations being completed nationwide.
The discrepancy sparked concerns among auditors, prompting the new Health Minister to initiate a review of all LHIMS-related payments.
Minister Akandoh told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that his team discovered discrepancies between the value of work executed and payments disbursed. He described the transaction as “a clear breach of financial discipline and a violation of the Public Financial Management Act.”
“This is not a pre-payment procedure,” Akandoh explained. “You pay as and when you have executed the job. If you have paid more than the work you have done, you have been overpaid.”
The Ministry of Health has since forwarded the findings to the Attorney General for review, signaling possible legal or administrative action. The Attorney General’s office is expected to determine whether criminal charges or civil recovery measures are warranted.
The LHIMS controversy carries significant implications for Ghana’s public financial management, particularly in the health sector, which consumes nearly 8% of Ghana’s GDP annually.
Digital transformation projects like LHIMS are crucial for strengthening health systems, improving patient care, and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). However, allegations of mismanagement or overpayment can undermine public confidence in government reforms.
According to governance experts, such incidents highlight systemic weaknesses in contract supervision and payment oversight within state institutions. Similar issues have affected other government digitisation projects, including the Ghana Card and National Health Insurance database integration, where slow implementation and funding irregularities have hindered progress.
Ghana’s health sector has been making steady progress toward digitalisation, with over 350 hospitals reportedly using electronic record systems as of 2024. However, uneven implementation, inadequate training, and high project costs continue to slow national adoption.
The LHIMS project was meant to be the backbone of Ghana’s national health data system, providing a platform for real-time patient information, drug inventory tracking, and performance reporting.
Experts say an overpayment of this scale could delay project completion, limit the rollout to rural areas, and stall the integration of the system with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) database.
“This project was supposed to ensure efficiency in patient management and reduce duplication of medical records,” a health policy analyst noted. “But financial irregularities may now derail its credibility and sustainability.”
Anti-corruption campaigners have also weighed in, urging the government to ensure full transparency in how funds are disbursed under the LHIMS and other digital health contracts. The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and IMANI Africa have both previously called for mandatory publication of all major public ICT contracts to prevent similar disputes.
Analysts argue that strong institutional oversight, regular auditing, and public disclosure are essential to maintaining trust in Ghana’s digital transformation agenda. The LHIMS probe, they say, should not only recover funds (if confirmed) but also prompt reforms in procurement and contract monitoring systems.
As investigations into the alleged $10.6 million overpayment continue, the outcome will be a crucial test of Ghana’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the management of public contracts. Whether the findings lead to prosecution or policy reform, the case underscores the importance of rigorous financial governance in ensuring that national digital projects deliver real value to citizens.
Ghanaians will be watching closely to see if the LHIMS inquiry becomes a turning point for greater accountability in the health sector — or another unresolved controversy in the country’s long struggle against mismanagement.
