The status and strategic importance of Lightwave Health Information Management System

In light of recent public commentary and media reports regarding the implementation of the Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS), it is essential to provide a balanced and factual account of this significant national initiative.

 

This statement, issued from an independent perspective, is intended to clarify the strategic context, implementation progress, challenges, and benefits associated with LHIMS, Ghana’s flagship digital health infrastructure project.

 

1. Background

The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Health, launched its first e-Health Strategy in 2010 to advance healthcare delivery through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

 

This initiative, supported by international partners including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the Novartis Foundation, identified the need for an electronic health record (EHR) system as a core policy priority.

 

Strategic Objective 4 of the e-Health Strategy specifically called for the piloting of a national electronic patient records and service management system to eliminate inefficiencies inherent in manual records, improve healthcare delivery, and enhance data visibility.

 

1. Project Implementation

 

Following a successful evaluation of a proposal submitted by Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions Ltd (LWEHS), LWEHS was awarded a sole-source contract in April 2016 to implement Phase 1 of LHIMS across 25 facilities in the Central Region.

 

 Phase 1 was delivered under a system’s standout feature which included an integrated early warning disease surveillance module positioned Ghana as the first country in Africa to implement real-time symptom-based disease alerting.

 

Phase 1 was completed and commissioned in November 2017 at the Winneba Trauma Hospital, having met the project goals.

 

Based on the system’s proven performance, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) granted approval for Phase 2, for nationwide rollout covering 950 health facilities, including Teaching Hospitals, Regional hospitals, Psychiatric hospitals, selected Polyclinics, and Health centers.

 

1. Scope of Work – Phase 2

Phase 2 encompasses the following activities:

1. a)      Deployment across 950 facilities
2. b)      Installation of WLAN and secure MTN VPN connectivity
3. c)      Provision of servers, desktops, laptops, tablets, and networking infrastructure
4. d)      Deployment of the LHIMS application
5. e)      Capacity building for IT staff, clinicians, and administrators
6. f)        Enhancement of the early warning disease surveillance system
7. g)      Second- and third-level technical support

Each facility has been equipped with a local area network and on-premises server, enabling the system to function even without Internet access. Data is securely backed up at both the facility and Ministry of Health levels, ensuring data sovereignty, high availability, and continuity of care in remote areas.

 

1. Progress and Performance

As of the end of the extended project period (December 2024) the following achievements which demonstrate that LHIMS has become a critical component of Ghana’s national health architecture had been made:

1. a)      481 facilities have been fully deployed
2. b)      195 facilities are currently in deployment
3. c)      274 facilities remain
4. d)      92% of government hospitals are live, alongside 28.6% of non-hospital facilities
5. e)      Over 24.9 million patients registered, 56.2 million visits recorded, and 26.4 million NHIA claims processed
6. f)        156,090 clinical staff trained
7. g)      53,589 hospital beds managed through the system

 

1. Technology, Security, and Compliance

LHIMS includes core modules such as Outpatient/Inpatient Management, Accident & Emergency, Theatre, Appointments, Laboratory, Radiology, Pharmacy, Blood Bank, NHIA Claims, Bed and Drug Stock Management, and Dashboards. The system operates on a secure MTN-provided VPN and complies with the following key statutory provisions:

1. a)      Ghana’s Data Protection Act
2. b)      Electronic Transactions Act (2008)
3. c)      HIPAA standards for electronic medical records

Though more expensive than centralized cloud models, the hybrid architecture prioritizes security, privacy, and local data control, aligning with best practice for national digital infrastructure.

 

1. Capacity Building and Change Management

LHIMS is not only a software deployment but a human capital development initiative. Training has been provided for Doctors, Nurses, Lab Scientists, Administrators, IT officers, and relevant Government Agency staff. First-line support is available at each facility, with a Regional support structure being scaled to ensure long-term sustainability.

A structured change request process allows facilities to submit system enhancement requests via the Ministry of Health, ensuring updates are strategically managed. However, inconsistent standard operating procedures (SOPs) across facilities remain a challenge, prompting unnecessary system modifications that reduce efficiency. A review and alignment of SOPs is critical to realizing the full benefits of the platform.

 

1. Delays and Scope Changes: Contextual Clarification

Although the original project was intended for a two-year duration, various factors contributed to delays:

1. a)      The COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted site work and training
2. b)      Global supply chain disruptions, especially for hardware procurement
3. c)      Milestone-based funding delays
4. d)      Additional national initiatives requested by the Ministry, which were not part of the original contract, including:

• Ghana Card integration
• Interoperability with the National e-Pharmacy Project
• Linkages with the Births and Deaths Registry
• Support to other national data platforms

These efforts, though outside scope, were undertaken in the National interest and have significantly strengthened Ghana’s integrated digital health ecosystem.

A contract extension was granted to 31st December 2024 to ensure completion but due to the additional interventions requested by the Government, the firm could not achieve that. A further extension is currently under review by the Honourable Minister to enable completion of the remaining facilities and protect the investment made.

 

 

1. Clarifying Misconceptions

 

Going forward, and to enable decision-makers to make well-informed, evidence-based decisions on the future of the LHIMS project, it is important to correct the following narratives:

1. Narrative: The project has been abandoned.

Correction: This is inaccurate. LHIMS remains an active, ongoing National health IT project. As of December 2024, a total of 676 facilities had been either completed or are in deployment, representing substantial progress toward the 950-facility target.

1. Narrative: The contractor is responsible for the delays.

Correction: The delays experienced were not due to the Vendor’s underperformance. Instead, they arose from external factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain constraints, milestone-based funding delays, and scope extensions initiated by the Ministry of Health to align LHIMS with national digital priorities.

 

1. Narrative: LHIMS is just a software system.

Correction: LHIMS is a comprehensive digital health infrastructure initiative. It integrates enterprise-grade software, hardware deployment, secure networking, capacity building, and long-term technical support. It is not a typical software project but foundational to Ghana’s digital health transformation.

 

1. Narrative: The system compromises patient data or lacks legal safeguards.

Correction: All data generated and managed through LHIMS is the sole property of the Ministry of Health. The system complies with Ghana’s Data Protection Act, the Electronic Transactions Act (2008), and aligns with international standards such as HIPAA. Furthermore, Lightwave E-Healthcare Solutions has registered with the Data Protection Commission to reinforce its commitment to data privacy and security.

 

1. Narrative: The system is inflexible and difficult to scale.

Correction: LHIMS was designed to accommodate local offline functionality, enabling uninterrupted use even in areas with limited connectivity. The system has been built with modular flexibility, allowing for ongoing updates through a formal change request process coordinated by the Ministry of Health.

1. Narrative: It is owned by foreign interests

Correction: Lightwave is a wholly Ghanaian-owned firm established in 2011

 

1. Conclusion

 

This is a digital National Asset and an initiative worth completing. Ghana is one of the few countries on the Continent with a functioning, secure, and scalable electronic health record system spanning multiple levels of care. LHIMS has demonstrated tangible benefits such as:

1. a)      Seamless patient record portability
2. b)      Real-time disease surveillance and alerting
3. c)      Efficient NHIA claims submission and revenue tracking
4. d)      Enhanced administrative and clinical oversight
5. e)      Paperless operations and reduced patient wait times

As a robust national platform built by a local company, LHIMS represents a bold step toward health system transformation. Completing this project is not only necessary but a strategic imperative for Healthcare development.

Source: Lightwave