The Head of Information Technology (IT) Department at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Samuel Quarshie is demanding for the removal from office the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye.
He is accusing the Dr. Kuma Aboagye for providing information about alleged website security incident at the health sector to the National Security Operatives leading to his arrest on October 13th 2021, and subsequently handcuffing and whisking him away by the security agency.
According to Mr. Quarshie, the National Security operatives informed him after his arrest that Dr. Kuma reported that he has been “involved in a criminal activity relating to a security incident on the GHS website www.ghs.gov.gh.”
Following this, the accused was transferred from the IT department and placed in the Finance Division at the GHS.
In a petition to the Council of the Ghana Health Service, sighted by Angelonline.com.gh, the Head of IT at the GHS said, he requests an inquiry into the matter.
He believes the move would help unravel the truth about the supposed website security breach and the arrest.
“Prevail on the Director General to stop the intimidation, threatening and transfers of any staff of the ICT Department because they hold different technical and professional opinions on the management of IT projects”
“Review whether the use of the National Security by the Director General to arrest an officer at the workplace during working hours in consistent with the GHS Code of Ethics”
“Enquiry into the decision by the Director General to change my current job description from Head IT to the Finance Division.” Mr. Quarshie said in the petitioned.
He suggested to the Ghana Health Service to henceforth create an IT Governance Committee at the Council level to help overseer the healthcare digitalization process.
To that end, he believes it will promote the adoption of good IT Governance practice with representations from the Regulatory agencies (NITA, Cyber Security Authority, Data Protection Commission etc.) to serve as a strategic decision making body on digitalization.
He added, a soliciting assistance of the Cyber Security Authority and NTA will also see to undertaking of “an assessment of the cyber threat and vulnerability threshold of the GHS ICT infrastructure and compliance levels per the National Enterprise Architecture standard and frameworks.”
The petition further calls for review of the digital health readiness of the GHS especially the pool of the available IT Professionals and career progression path.
To conclude, Samuel Quarshie, is calling on the Ghana Health Service Council to examine the 2016 and 2019 Auditor Generals recommendations on the sector ICT operations and their status of implementation.
