Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has rubbished claims by the minority in parliament against the introduction of the drone health care delivery system in the country.

“We are going to save human lives and human lives can’t be exchanged with money”. Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu said in an interview MyNewsGh.com monitored.

Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu’s comment came after the Minority in Parliament led by Minority Spokesperson on Finance Cassiel Ato Forson lashing government for spending such an amount on the project describing it as a criminal while some have also argued that $12 million is enough to construct CHPS compounds in rural areas to improve healthcare delivery instead.

But the Majority leader reacted sharply in an interview with Kumasi-based Nhyira FM saying saving human lives with $12 million is in the right direction.

“We are going to save human lives and human lives can’t be exchanged with money. Assuming in a year the system drone is able to save about 50 people than comparing 50 lives or 100, will you say $12 million is worth more than these lives? He asked.

“Does the minority want to say that saving a 100 people with $12million is too much? This is an issue we can all debate on”, he challenged.

The Health Committee of parliament is recommending approval of the deal after the agreement was laid in the house last month.

Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu has been defending the deal insisting it is in the best interest of the country.

The minister said the deal will not be funded by the state but by private sector companies who are willing to do this as part of a corporate social responsibility.

According to him, the company contracted for the drone project will set up an assembling plant in Ghana and train Ghanaian youth on how to build and operate drones.

“I don’t see anything wrong in utilizing donor support to enhance and provide improved health care delivery”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare has given full details of the drone health service delivery system the country is adopting to improve on healthcare delivery.

He explained that giving the fact that developing countries such as Ghana face significant health deficits, issues of primary health care delivery require innovative means and practices.

Health deficits that are totally unacceptable include the fact that about 30% of women die in labour due to excessive bleeding. Issue of immediate intervention after a snake- bite is also deplorable.

This would have not been the case if Ghana had installed advanced technology to supply blood pints and other medical products to remote areas, where the need is more.