STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF LHIMS: A national digital health asset facing final hurdles

Ghana’s flagship digital health infrastructure project, the Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS), remains a critical yet unfinished national asset, despite recent public debate and media reports questioning its current status.

According to sources close to ThinkNewsOnline.com, LHIMS is not abandoned, as speculated, but is actively being deployed, with substantial progress made towards its completion.

Out of the targeted 950 health facilities nationwide, 481 facilities have been fully deployed, while 195 are in active deployment, leaving 274 facilities pending.

The LHIMS project, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and implemented by Ghanaian tech firm Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions Ltd, is central to Ghana’s e-Health Strategy launched in 2010.

It provides a fully integrated electronic health records (EHR) system, complete with disease surveillance, hospital management tools, and secure data storage capabilities.

A Strategic Milestone in Africa

Phase 1 of the project, completed in 2017, saw the successful implementation across 25 facilities in the Central Region, including the commissioning of the system at the Winneba Trauma Hospital.

Its key innovation—a real-time, symptom-based disease alert system—made Ghana the first country in Africa to implement such a feature.

Following its success, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) approved a nationwide Phase 2 rollout, covering 950 facilities including teaching and regional hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, polyclinics, and health centers.

The rollout includes the installation of secure MTN VPN connectivity, network infrastructure, clinical hardware, capacity building, and ongoing support.

Achievements So Far

As of December 2024, LHIMS had achieved:

Registration of over 24.9 million patients

Recording of 56.2 million hospital visits

Processing of 26.4 million NHIA claims

156,090 healthcare professionals trained

Management of 53,589 hospital beds through the system

A source involved in the deployment explained, “LHIMS is more than just a software system—it’s the foundation of Ghana’s digital health transformation.

It integrates people, process, and technology in a way that few countries on the continent have managed.”

Challenges and Delays

Despite the progress, the project has encountered delays, largely due to external factors. These include:

The COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted on-site work and training schedules

Global supply chain constraints, affecting hardware delivery

Milestone-based funding delays

Government-initiated scope expansions, including integration with the Ghana Card, e-Pharmacy project, Births and Deaths Registry, and other national data systems

“These changes were not part of the original contract, but were undertaken in the national interest,” a project insider told ThinkNewsOnline.

"They have strengthened Ghana’s digital health ecosystem, but understandably slowed progress.”

A contract extension was granted to December 2024. However, given the added scope, Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions could not complete all deliverables.

A further extension is now under review by the Ministry of Health, aimed at completing the remaining facilities and safeguarding the investment already made.

Dispelling Misconceptions

Stakeholders close to the project also pushed back against what they describe as misleading narratives in the public space:

Claim: The project has been abandoned.

Fact: 676 facilities are either completed or in deployment. LHIMS is ongoing.

Claim: The contractor is responsible for the delays.

Fact: Delays stemmed from global and national disruptions, not vendor inefficiency.

Claim: LHIMS is only a software solution.

Fact: It’s a comprehensive digital infrastructure project involving hardware, networking, training, and secure data systems.

Claim: The system is owned by foreign interests.

Fact: Lightwave is a 100% Ghanaian-owned company, established in 2011.

Claim: Patient data is compromised.

Fact: LHIMS complies with Ghana’s Data Protection Act, Electronic Transactions Act (2008), and international HIPAA standards.

Looking Ahead

Experts say the completion of LHIMS is not just desirable but strategically essential.

“It is a robust, scalable, and secure system that enables seamless patient records, NHIA claims tracking, disease surveillance, and improved administrative oversight,” said a health policy analyst.

“If completed, it positions Ghana as a digital health leader in Africa.”

The system’s hybrid architecture, with both local offline functionality and national data backups, ensures data sovereignty and resilience even in rural or low-connectivity areas.

As Ghana pushes forward with its digital transformation agenda, LHIMS remains a cornerstone.

“This is a national asset, and finishing what we started is a matter of strategic importance for our healthcare system,” one source emphasized.

Story by: ThinkNewsOnline Health Desk