Ministry of Health restores DHIMS following $64,000 hosting fee payment

The Ministry of Health has announced the full restoration of the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS) after settling an outstanding $64,000 debt for cloud hosting services. The system, which is essential for the collation and management of public health data at the district level, had experienced a temporary disruption due to the unpaid bill. On November 6, 2026, the Ministry confirmed that the platform is now fully operational and thanked stakeholders for their patience during the downtime. Ministry spokesperson Tony Goodman revealed that the shutdown was triggered by the outstanding hosting fees, which were eventually cleared after the Health Minister directed the Ghana Health Service to secure the necessary funds. Goodman further explained that the delay in payment arose because the project was subject to ongoing investigations, meaning that any financial disbursements required prior clearance. This bureaucratic hurdle led to the suspension of services by the hosting provider until the debt was resolved. To address public concerns about healthcare delivery, the Ministry clarified that the disruption was limited to the district-level data collation system and did not affect clinical operations. The Ghana Health Information Management System (GHIMS), which hospitals use for patient records and medical management, remained functional throughout the period. This distinction ensured that while high-level data aggregation was stalled, individual patient care and hospital administration continued without interruption. The incident has prompted calls for greater accountability in the management of digital health infrastructure. Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has requested that Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh appear before Parliament to explain the circumstances surrounding the hosting debt and the subsequent system failure. In response, the Ministry has emphasized its long-term commitment to enhancing Ghana's digital health systems to ensure more robust data management and efficient healthcare delivery across the country.