GHS directs health facilities to switch to paper reporting amid DHIMS2 shutdown

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has directed health facilities and districts nationwide to maintain paper-based reporting while its electronic health information systems remain unavailable.

In an internal memo dated November 2, 2026, Director-General of the GHS, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, said the directive was intended to ensure that health data for October and November 2026 were preserved for entry once the systems are restored.

“Facilities and districts should keep completing registers and monthly summary forms on paper so that October and November 2026 data can be entered once DHIMS2 is restored. Regional and district health information officers should file the forms by facility and month,” he stated.

The directive requires facilities to continue recording information in their registers and completing monthly summary forms manually to prevent gaps in the national health reporting system.

Some Android applications remain operational offline

The memo also indicated that some health information systems have Android applications that can continue collecting data without an internet connection.

These include eTracker, the Family Planning and Health Care (FPHC) platform, Operational Training and Supervision Support (OTSS) assessments, the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) tracker, HIV and tuberculosis trackers, and the ISRS sample tracker.

“Android tracker users continue capturing data offline for upload once service returns,” the memo stated.

This means users of the affected applications can continue recording information locally, although the data cannot be uploaded until the systems become available again.

The GHS electronic health information systems have been unavailable nationwide since October 29, 2026, after the Service's cloud hosting provider suspended its account over outstanding administrative issues.

The disruption has affected the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS2), the Planning and Budget Management Information System (PBMIS), eTracker, HIV and tuberculosis trackers, the National Malaria Data Repository (NMDR), the data-exchange gateway, and other platforms.

In a separate recovery plan outlined in the November 2 memo, the GHS said it was pursuing payment of US$64,510.95 to reinstate its suspended account and restore the systems.

Until access is restored, facilities and districts are expected to rely on paper-based reporting and offline data capture to maintain the collection of health information.