Former Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has touted the country’s digitalization agenda as groundbreaking which is rapidly transforming the socio-economic lives of Ghanaians.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia made this statement about the country’s digitalization efforts when he spoke as the keynote speaker at the Harvard Business School’s 27th Annual Conference on the theme “Africa Beyond Borders: A Myth or a Mandate for Africa’s Progress”.
Addressing the gathering, the former Vice President lauded Ghana’s digitalization efforts across sectors, especially the healthcare delivery sector.
He indicated that the adoption of Zipline’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered medical delivery service has not only saved the country huge resources but has become a life-saving game-changer in Ghana’s healthcare system.
He says the technology has improved access to medical emergency supplies, reduced preventable deaths, and saved the Ghana Health Service substantial financial resources.
Prior to the adoption of the technology, Dr. Bawumia recounted how hospitals and clinics in rural areas previously struggled to receive critical medical supplies, especially during emergencies such as childbirth complications, blood shortages, and venomous snake bites. The delays in accessing these supplies often resulted in tragic, avoidable deaths.
“Hospitals and clinics in remote and largely rural communities also had difficulty at a difficult time getting medical supplies, especially in times of emergencies involving sleep bites, childbirth, blood supply, vaccines, and so on. Many lives were needlessly lost because hospitals were unable to access critically needed supplies on time,” he narrated.
After the introduction of the service in Ghana and being the second country in Africa after Rwanda, Dr. Bawumia says Ghana’s Zipline drone delivery service is currently the biggest in the world.
He further states that the impact has been revolutionary. By optimizing supply chain logistics and reducing waste, the initiative has made the distribution of medical resources more efficient and cost-effective.
“Ghana has the largest medical drone delivery service in the world. Many lives have been saved as a result of the medical drones, and the drones were particularly critical in the delivery of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Ghana Health Service has made significant financial savings as a result of the Zipline drone delivery program,” he touted in a speech monitored
Dr. Bawumia described the program as a testament to how innovation can be leveraged to solve critical national challenges while promoting efficiency and sustainability in public health management.
Ghana’s medical drone delivery system, the former vice president says, stands as a shining example of how digitalization, when properly harnessed, can bridge gaps, save lives, and optimize government resources.
