GOV’T PAYS $520K MONTHLY, YET 84% OF ZIPLINE DELIVERIES NON-EMERGENCY – Health Minister Reveals
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh discloses that only 12% of the drone service’s flights reach hard-to-reach areas and just 4% are for emergencies, sparking calls for contract renegotiation.
The government’s flagship drone medical delivery service has strayed drastically from its life-saving mandate, with the Health Minister revealing that 84% of Zipline’s flights are for non-emergency items like condoms and school textbooks, despite monthly payments of $520,000.
Deputy Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh presented the damning audit during the Government Accountability Series on Monday, December 1, showing that only 12% of the service’s operations serve hard-to-reach areas and a mere 4% are for emergencies. The remaining majority involves delivering routine supplies that could be handled by standard couriers at a fraction of the cost.
“The services were to concentrate on hard-to-reach areas and emergency services, but upon review, the hard-to-reach areas constitute only 12% of their activities, and emergency services constitute only 4%,” Mr. Akandoh stated.
The revelation intensifies a financial and operational crisis, with the government owing Zipline approximately GH¢174 million in arrears, a debt that has already forced the closure of three of the company’s distribution centres.
The Minister confirmed that the government has entered stringent negotiations with Zipline to restore value for money. “We think that there must be value for money, therefore we are engaging them,” he said.
The disclosure has amplified criticism from figures like Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, who has labeled the drone project a “mismanagement of public funds,” increasing pressure on the government to either strictly enforce the original emergency mandate or terminate the contract altogether.
Source:NKONKONSA.com
