The Director General of Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, has given an assurance that the drones to deliver essential medical supplies, including blood, to remote communities in the country, have no cameras to take videos and pictures.

He said it was wrong for the Women’s Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Hannah Bissiw, to make claims without providing evidence that the drones would be used to take pictures of people.

“The medical drones have no installed cameras so can’t take photos. Hannah Bisiw should try and learn or ask before she speaks,” the Director-General, who is in charge of the medical drone project, said yesterday.

During an end-of-year party for NDC members at Asamankese in the Eastern Region, Dr Bissiw, who is a veterinary doctor and former minister and MP said: “There are hidden cameras in the drones they are bringing. I am telling Nana Addo and his Bawumia that somebody can sit by the computer and easily film or take pictures of women bathing in the villages.”
“That thing can take pictures so when it passes by your village and your bathroom, it will take pictures. So the men listening to me; those drones can take pictures of your naked wives when they are bathing.

“When it gets to your house and the operator decides to make a video or capture the image of women bathing, they can easily do it,” Dr. Bissiw said.
“You know in our villages our bathrooms are not covered so the men who are listening to me should bear in mind that they are going to capture the nakedness of your wives. They can capture your wives’ butts and breasts,” she added.

The former minister, who appeared to incite the public against the drone service, said: “As for me, when I see a drone over me, I will hit it with a stick.”

“We don’t need drones. We need ambulances, especially the ones John Mahama brought. They should let the CHPS compound become operational.”



However, Dr. Nsiah-Asare, in a response, said: “The medical drones are not like the drones used at functions. They are small unmanned cargo planes to deliver essential medical, non-medicals, vaccines, blood and blood products to all health facilities within the catchment range of the distribution centres.”

He further explained that “the medical drones are not meant to deliver only blood to CHPS centres.”

The Director-General queried Hannah Bissiw over the NDC’s record in the health sector during its eight-year tenure.
He asked Dr Bissiw to tell Ghanaians the number of ambulances procured by the NDC during its term.