Researchers from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) have raised concerns over the impact of Ghana’s recent electronic healthcare records disruption, warning that the breakdown exposed serious risks to patient safety, healthcare delivery and national control over medical data systems.

The researchers described in The Lancet how clinicians in some hospitals were suddenly unable to access patient records after a dispute between the Government and a private electronic health records provider reportedly led to a shutdown of the system.

At one referral hospital, a gynaecologist reportedly had to ask a patient about her medication history because her records could not be retrieved electronically.

“Madam, which medicines do you take? I’m sorry, but I can’t access your information on my computer,” the doctor said during a consultation.

According to the researchers, the outage disrupted clinical workflows, delayed treatment and complicated medical decision-making, especially in cases where doctors depended on historical patient information to guide care.

The report explained that the electronic health system had been operated by a commercial company, with patient data hosted on servers outside Ghana. When disagreements arose over accountability and contractual obligations, clinicians reportedly lost access to medical records almost overnight.

Although Ghana has since migrated to a new national system, the researchers noted that healthcare workers are still manually re-entering large amounts of patient data, creating risks of inaccuracies that could affect patient safety, quality of care and future medical research.

The researchers further cautioned that the incident highlights broader concerns about data sovereignty and digital dependence in healthcare systems, particularly where sensitive records are stored on foreign-managed platforms.

“Patient data are not just technical files; they are lifelines,” the authors stated, urging policymakers and healthcare leaders to strengthen safeguards around ownership, storage and governance of medical data.

The correspondence was co-authored by Dr. Tawiah Augustine of KNUST’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Dr. Daniel Boateng of the KNUST School of Public Health, alongside collaborators from the University Medical Center Utrecht and other institutions in Ghana and the Netherlands.