Dr Benard Okoe Boye, former Minister of Health, has criticised the stance of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government on the operations of Zipline Medical Drone Delivery Services, describing it as driven by “emotion and hatred”.
In a media interview, he said, the NDC government wanted the cancellation of the Zipline initiative because it was introduced under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
Dr Okoe Boye’s comments followed a call by Mr Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, for the cancellation of the Zipline contract.
Mr Ayariga argued during Friday’s parliamentary sitting that the contract, valued at GHS 170 million annually, was a waste of national resources.
He urged the need for Ghana Health Service (GHS) to acquire and operate its own drones for medical supplies, rather than using Zipline centres.
Dr Okoe Boye, a former NPP Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, however, countered the Majority Leader’s stance and said Mr Ayariga needed to be educated on the operations of Zipline rather than being “politically emotional” because the NPP government is credited with its introduction.
He explained that the unique software deployed by Zipline for medical logistics was the critical difference, stressing that the GHS could not simply acquire drones and begin dispatching medicines and blood supplies without the specialised systems in place.
He noted that the United States government even understudied Ghana’s Zipline operations, a testament to the country’s pioneering role in medical drone delivery.
“Ghana has taken the lead in this initiative, and it is saving lives daily,” he said.
Zipline presently operates six centres across the country, supplying essential medical commodities to underserved communities.
Dr Okoe Boye highlighted the efficiency of the service, noting that a journey that would take three hours by road could be completed in just 15 minutes by drone, ensuring timely delivery of medicines and blood to save lives.
