Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has revealed that drone delivery company Zipline Ghana has been transporting items beyond its core emergency mandate, raising questions about government expenditure.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, December 1, the Minister disclosed that products such as condoms and mosquito nets were among the materials dispatched by Zipline. He further noted that the service had transported a variety of other supplies, including blood-donor cards, food and nutrition items, adhesive tapes, syringes, needles, as well as educational materials like textbooks and school uniforms.
According to Mr. Akandoh, these findings indicate a significant deviation from Zipline’s original purpose. “The services were to focus on hard-to-reach areas and emergency situations, but upon review, hard-to-reach areas constitute only 12% of their activities, while emergency services account for just 4%,” he said.
He added that the nature of items delivered raises further concern. “It will interest you to know some of the items they fly include condoms, blood-donor cards, mosquito nets, food and nutrition items, adhesive tapes, syringes and needles, and educational materials such as textbooks and uniforms.”
The Minister stated that the government is currently engaging Zipline to clarify the scope of its operations and settle outstanding debts, emphasizing the importance of ensuring value for money. “We think there must be value for money, therefore we are engaging them,” he said.
His remarks come amid reports that Zipline has shut down three of its centres due to an outstanding GH¢174 million owed by the government.
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