Ghana Health Service shuts down electronic systems over $64,510 debt

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has been forced to suspend its national electronic health information systems, including the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS2), following a shutdown by its cloud hosting provider. The disruption, which began on October 29, 2026, was triggered by an outstanding hosting bill totaling $64,510. This shutdown has effectively halted digital health data management across the country, impacting the way health information is collected and processed in public health facilities.

In response to the outage, GHS Director-General Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea has directed all health facilities to immediately revert to manual record-keeping. A formal memo issued to hospitals and clinics instructs staff to maintain paper registers and complete monthly summary forms to ensure that critical health data for October and November 2026 is preserved. Although some health workers are still able to collect data via Android applications, they remain unable to upload any information to the national database until the servers are brought back online.

Despite the suspension of services, the GHS has assured the public that there have been no security breaches or losses of historical data. The service confirmed that backups of existing records are currently stored and protected. The primary challenge remains the restoration of access to these digital platforms, which are essential for national health monitoring and policy planning. The GHS is currently seeking prompt approval for emergency funding to either settle the outstanding debt or acquire new servers to host the systems internally.

Looking ahead, the Director-General has indicated a shift toward a more sustainable infrastructure to prevent future disruptions. This includes a proposed move to a Ghana-based hosting provider to ensure better control over the systems and mitigate the risks associated with foreign cloud services. For now, health facilities remain on high alert, balancing patient care with the administrative burden of manual data entry until the financial and technical hurdles are cleared.