Bawumia’s drones to be powered by $5m GNPC cash – Dr. Nsiah-Asare reveals

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare has revealed that the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has made a commitment to support the service charges of drones distribution of emergency health and blood products in remote areas in the country with US$5million.

The amount, he noted, will be spread over the next five years with the oil company paying US$1million for each year.

The gesture, kasapafmonline.com understands, forms part of the corporate social responsibility of the State-owned oil company.

According to Dr. Nsiah-Asare, some other corporate bodies have also expressed interest to finance the ambitious project being pursued by the country by leveraging on technology to achieve universal health coverage even at an earlier period than the projected 2030.

Parliament is in the process of finalizing the approval of the Service Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana, represented by the Ministry of Health and Fly Zipline Ghana Limited for the delivery of emergency health and blood products to public health facilities in Ghana.

The deal is worth US$12,527,000.000 and is for a period of four (4) years, subject to renewal.

The agreement, according to the Ministry of Health, is a “pay for performance” contract. That means if the drone delivery program does show value for money by making deliveries, the Ministry of Health is not obligated to pay.

According to the performance contract, the Ministry of Health has a maximum payment obligation which stipulates that if less than 15 deliveries are made in the previous month, the Ministry of Health makes US$0 payment.

If only 15 deliveries are made in the previous month, the Ministry of Health pays US$11,000.00, while it is also under obligation to pay US$27,000.00 is only 50 deliveries are made in the previous month.

Further, the Ministry of Health will pay US$59,000.00 if Fly Zipline makes 75 deliveries in the previous month.

The Ministry of Health will also have to pay US$88,000.00 if Fly Zipline makes more than 100 deliveries in the previous month.

Dr. Nsiah-Asare commenting further said “this is a revolution in the delivery of our healthcare system and it comes at no cost to the country. Ministry of Health bears no risk for installation, operation and maintenance of facilities. The Ministry pays only when Zipline succeeds in setting up distribution centers and meets the performance specifications agreed in the Service Agreement”.

The facility, he noted, will run 24/7 when fully in operation with hundreds of health facilities across the country expected to get access in minutes to any of the four centers expected to be built.

The initiative, Dr. Nsiah-Asare added, will create more than 200 high-skilled permanent jobs for Ghanaian engineers, aviation experts, and pharmacists.