Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has delivered a stinging assessment of Zipline Ghana’s multi-million-cedi drone delivery operation, revealing that the platform — procured to deliver blood, vaccines and critical medical supplies — is now overwhelmingly transporting non-emergency items like condoms, mosquito nets, syringes, needles and even school textbooks.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, December 1, the minister said data from a performance review shows a sharp departure from the service’s core mandate. Only 12% of Zipline’s flights target hard-to-reach communities, while emergency deliveries account for a mere 4%, leaving 84% of operations outside the intended scope.
Akandoh questioned why an expensive drone system is being used to ferry basic supplies that could be moved cheaply by conventional transport.
“It will interest you to know the items they fly — condoms, blood donor cards, mosquito nets, nutrition items, adhesive tapes, syringes and needles, textbooks and uniforms,” he disclosed.
Compounding the controversy is a GH₵174 million debt owed by government to Zipline — a financial strain that has already forced three centres to shut down. The Health Ministry has begun engagement with the company to ensure value for money and clarity on service scope.
The revelations have intensified political pressure, with Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga renewing calls for the contract to be terminated, branding it a costly misuse of public funds.
