In Ghana, medical records called a no-go area in deals with the US — MyJoyOnline

Chairman of Ghana’s parliamentary Health Committee Mark Kurt Nawaane said the country must retain control over medical records that may be shared with foreign partners under international healthcare agreements. He called such records a no-go area and stressed that before any arrangement, the authorities must determine exactly what information an international partner is requesting.

As MyJoyOnline reports, Nawaane distinguished between general medical statistics and specific medical records. According to him, Ghana already provides international organizations with information on maternal and child mortality, as well as life expectancy. At the same time, such statistics should not be equated with medical records.

Scope and use of data

Nawaane said that as a sovereign state, Ghana itself determines what information to disclose. He noted that medical data available to the international community may not always be up to date. However, he said the situation changes fundamentally when an agreement concerns specific medical records.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

The committee chairman called for the wording of such agreements to be carefully reviewed in order to establish exactly what is covered by the concept of medical records. He raised the question of whether the relevant provisions could extend to aggregated information about certain population groups, including politicians or women. In his view, Ghana should determine what data to transfer, who will have access to it and how it may be used.

US proposal rejected

Nawaane’s statement came after Ghanaian President John Mahama explained the government’s decision to reject a healthcare agreement proposed by the United States. It was intended to replace funding previously provided by the US Agency for International Development.

According to Mahama, the Ministry of Health analyzed the document and drew attention to provisions on pathogen data, medical records, co-financing, as well as the inspection of medicines and medical products. The president said the Cabinet rejected the proposal, finding some of its terms unacceptable. The outlet also notes that Zimbabwe, according to the Associated Press, rejected a similar agreement over concerns about a requirement to share sensitive medical data.