The Health Ministry has indicated it will direct the Management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to return the nine vehicles it claims to have purchased for the hospital without the approval of the Health Minister.
The Ministry says the hospital’s authorities failed to go through approved procedures to acquire the vehicles.
The Senior Staff Association of the hospital has petitioned President John Mahama to investigate the alleged mismanagement of hospital funds by the board and management of the hospital and the spending of GHC 1million on luxury vehicles.
The board Chair, Edward Annan on Wednesday denied the allegations and explained that “the Board took a decision to give directors and deputy directors cars. Before this decision was taken, the previous Board had given directors cars, the institution paying 60 percent of them and the individuals paying 40 percent of that.”
But the Public Relations Officer of the Health Ministry, Tony Goodman has told Citi News, the hospital management has been given a two-week ultimatum to respond to the petition.
Mr. Goodman clarified that the sector Minister was not aware that Korle Bu’s purchased the nine vehicles.
According to him, the hospital management “went through the process but they shortchanged some of the processes. It did not go to the sector Minister to get the formal approval…”
If the procedure had been followed to the latter, the sector Minister, Mr. Goodman said would have had to send the documents to the Finance Minister for approval because “it is government money.”
He remarked that government has and is still making a lot of investments in the hospital therefore; it is heartbreaking to note that the hospital’s internally generated funds are allegedly being mismanaged.
“If the IGF [Internally Generated Funds] is used without the knowledge of government, then we think we are not being fair to government.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan