Health workers back Zipline amid contract review concerns

By Prince ASUMAH

Amid calls for a review of government’s contract with Zipline, health workers who utilise services of the American drone delivery company are sending a different message to the country’s decision-makers.

Speaking to Business and Financial Times, Mr. Robert Nartey, Administrator-North Dayi District Health Directorate, stated that drone delivery of medicines and vaccines by Zipline has significantly enhanced healthcare delivery in the district. He emphasised: “For the past six years since Zipline came to Ghana, those of us in hard-to-reach areas have benefitted immensely”.

On the uncertainty surrounding government’s contract with the company, he remarked: “We would encourage government to renew their contract for us. It is the people who are beneficiaries”. According to him, after six years of operation in Ghana, the country has derived substantial value from the partnership and therefore it must be sustained.

Reiterating the impact Zipline has had on health services in the locality, Mr. Enoch Quist, District Storekeeper-North Dayi Health Directorate, highlighted the importance of Zipline’s autonomous delivery system. He noted that due to poor road networks in the area, delivering emergency medical supplies had previously posed a significant challenge. However, the advent of Zipline’s services has markedly improved health outcomes in the district.

Commenting on the company’s contractual relationship with government, Mr. Daniel Kwaku Merki, Head-Zipline Ghana, said his outfit is in constant communication with government officials and welcomes further engagement with the Ministry of Health to improve the contractual framework and better serve the nation. He added that Zipline Ghana is open to sharing operational details with segments of the public who may have concerns about their work.

While acknowledging the benefits derived from Zipline’s services, it is worth noting that these come at a substantial financial cost to the national purse. Critics argue that the resources used to maintain the programme could be redirected to other pressing needs. Under the current agreement, Zipline Ghana reportedly earns US$88,000 per month for each distribution centre, contingent on delivering an average of 100 packages daily.

It is also important to recall that while in opposition, key members of the current administration were vocally opposed to the Zipline arrangement. The now Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, had described the contract as a “rip-off”. “We’ve said that this one is a rip-off. If even everyone supports it, I, Cassiel Ato Forson, will not support it because I think it is a rip-off,” he said at the time. Then Minority spokesperson on health Joseph Yieleh Chireh also described the initiative as “a misplaced priority”.

Zipline began operations in Ghana in 2019 and currently operates in 14 regions, 162 districts and serves more than 3,000 health facilities. The company’s activities in Ghana are considered the largest autonomous drone delivery operation in the world. Although its entry into the Ghanaian health system was met with scepticism from both opposition figures and policy think-tanks such as IMANI Africa, its footprint has expanded significantly. However, as operations scale up, government continues to struggle with payments owed to the company.

In light of these financial constraints and a lack of definitive government communication, the future of Zipline’s contract remains uncertain.