Mahama Ayariga Calls for Termination of Zipline Contract, Says Deal Has Become Wasteful

The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, has called on the government to cancel its contract with medical drone-delivery company Zipline, arguing that the arrangement has become a drain on state resources.

Addressing Parliament, Mr Ayariga said the company’s operations no longer provide value for money, insisting that the continuous allocation of funds to the project cannot be justified at a time when the health sector is struggling with critical financing gaps. He described the deal as “a waste of state resources” and urged the Ministry of Health to halt further commitments to Zipline.

His comments follow a request by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, for the Health Minister to brief Parliament on government plans to revive Zipline’s services. The minister is expected to explain the status of operations at three Zipline centres that have been shut down as a result of the government’s outstanding GH₵175 million debt to the company.

Zipline, which began operating in Ghana in 2019, delivers essential medicines, blood supplies, and emergency medical products to remote health facilities using unmanned drones. The disruption of its services has raised concerns among health professionals, particularly in hard-to-reach communities that rely heavily on the company’s rapid delivery system.

Parliament is expected to debate the future of the Zipline partnership once the Health Minister presents his report.