Legal practitioner, Victoria Bright, has called for greater transparency in how patient data is managed within Ghana’s digital health system, following recent disruptions to the Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS).
Speaking on the AM Show, she stressed that medical records qualify as sensitive personal data and are protected under strict provisions of Ghana’s Data Protection Act.
According to her, such data must not be mishandled under any circumstances.
“There are very strict rules in dealing with sensitive personal data. You cannot intentionally leak or misuse it. That is an offence, and whoever does that could be severely punished by the Data Protection Commission,” she said.
Her comments come as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) struggles to revert to manual and semi-digital operations after the disruption of LHIMS — a platform that has, for more than a decade, facilitated the digitisation of patient records and streamlined healthcare delivery across the country.
At the centre of the disruption is Lightwave eHealthcare Solutions Limited, the private firm behind the platform. The company has reportedly not received payment for its services from the Ministry of Health for an extended period, raising questions about sustainability and oversight in Ghana’s health digitisation drive.
Ms Bright noted that any system handling health records should be guided by carefully drafted agreements outlining how patient data is captured, stored, protected and accessed.
“A good agreement should have a very detailed section on managing sensitive personal data. So there shouldn’t be any problems if the right measures were put in place,” she added.
However, she expressed concern over the lack of clarity in public communication surrounding the issue.
“I think we need more transparency in this whole debate, because what I’m not sure of is whether there has been a breach or just a system breakdown,” she said.
Health policy analysts have warned that the reversion to manual record-keeping could slow service delivery, delay treatment, and increase the risk of medical errors.
As discussions continue, many are calling on government and stakeholders to resolve the dispute promptly to protect patient confidence, safeguard data security, and restore continuity to Ghana’s digital health agenda.