GHS probes "missing" ?114m immunisation cash

... KATH boss denies receipt of share of allocation

The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched full-scale investigations into the controversial disbursement of funds released by the Service last December for the measles immunization programme in Ashanti.

Mr. Samuel Osei Asante, Regional Internal Auditor disclosed that the internal audit unit of the directorate had been tasked to investigate the disbursement and pleaded with The Chronicle to suspend any publication “until details of the outcome are relayed to you in due course”.

The probe comes as a result of The Chronicle inquiry into the disbursement, which has generated a heated dispute among some heads of public health institutions in the region particularly, the Kumasi metropolis since January this year.

Aggrieved heads of public health institutions in Kumasi are fuming and crying foul over the alleged “missing” ?114 million at the Kumasi Metro Health Administration, which resulted in cuts in financial allocations to health institutions for public health activities.

They attributed the loss to inaction and weak supervision by the regional health directorate.

The aggrieved officers are struggling to find an appropriate description for the loss. While some see it as embezzlement (because attempts at retrieving the monies have proved unsuccessful in the past six months) others see it as a misappropriation (having been diverted into supporting private midwives).

They also claim the money was siphoned into the unofficial running of a metro clinic, which did not qualify to undertake public health activities, and yet enjoyed funds from the facility. They have also called for a probe into the disbursement of the funds and the financial administration of the directorate for suspected misapplication for unproductive seminars.

Last year the Ghana Health Council released a total of ?1,710,258,800 to the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Service per a Standard Chartered High Street branch cheque No. 079011 dated November 28, 2002 whose disbursement is being disputed and now the subject of audit.

The amount, being Ashanti region’s share of a total of ?7,958,920,800 distributed nationwide as contained in the Ghana Measles Supplemental Immunization Budget summary for 2002 and released to the various regions by the Ghana Health Council, was meant for measles supplemental immunization activities (Measles-SIA).

Subsequently, the Regional Health Administration per Dr. Kyei Farid’s Public Health Unit disbursed the ?1,702,088,062 less ?8 million to the 24 health districts for measles immunization exercise targeted at an estimated population of 1,656,083 out of an actual population of 2,862,850.

At a meeting of heads of health institutions in March this year, however, it was revealed that the Metro Health Directorate which coordinated the disbursement of the fund had allegedly made cuts in approved figures as contained in the funds distribution spread sheet issued by the regional public health unit for the exercise.

Instead of ?76,746,563 allocated to the Subin district only ?72,396,000 was released. The Manhyia sub metro received ?103,630,087 instead of ?146,097.292 while the Asokwa sub-metro got ?98,290,000 instead of ?141,150,775 approved by the regional public health unit.

The Manhyia North district which did not receive any quota on the original distribution spread sheet was provided with ?79,751,000 by the Metro Health Administration.

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) which does not participate in mass immunization programme by the GHS was allocated ?14,220,000. About ?86,181,000 went to the Bantama sub-metro according to an improvised distribution sheet by the Metro Health Administration against ?101,578,238 provided for by the regional health administration.

The Chronicle computerization of the figures showed a shortfall of ?114 million including the controversial ?14,220,000 said to have gone to KATH and the ?8 million shortfall of the ?1,710,258,800. Realizing the cuts, the peeved heads of health institutions have called for a refund of the unauthorized deductions, which reportedly went into supporting private midwives.

Mrs. (Dr). Agatha Bonney, the Metro Director of Health Service who coordinated the disbursement of the monies did not see the import of The Chronicle enquiries into the matter at her level initially.

She directed the paper to contact the regional health administration to discuss the issues raised.

Officials at the regional health administration who are believed to be privy to the disbursement would not volunteer any information regarding the monies unless the paper submitted a questionnaire to the regional health directorate, which it obliged last August 7.

A week after submission of the questionnaire addressed to the Regional Health Director and copied to the Regional Health Administrator, the regional health directorate has not responded , which basically sought an explanation to the disparities in the allocation of funds at both the metro and regional levels contrary to the provisions of the distribution spread sheets and the propriety of using funds meant for measles for other private activities.

Surprisingly Dr. Kofi Asare, the Regional Director of health services called two days after the deadline to accuse the paper of bias and unfair treatment and directed that the paper talk to the Metro Director of Health Services instead him.

In considering the request, a questionnaire was sent to Mrs.Bonney, the Metro Director who had earlier asked the paper to contact the regional health directorate. She has not responded to the questionnaire at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the disbursement of the monies is deepened by the rejection by KATH of claim that it was allocated ?14,220,000. “KATH has not received any ?14 million for mass immunization exercise” Dr.Anthony Nsiah-Asare, KATH’s chief executive responded to The Chronicle enquiries.

He said his outfit has its own public health unit, which offers static immunization for which vaccines are supplied to the hospital.

Other activities performed by the hospital’s public health unit are financed by the hospital, he said. According to him the hospital releases some of its staff to help cover the estimated population during mass immunization carried out by the GHS.

Nsiah-Asare also emphasized that no money is released to KATH because the hospital staff released to the GHS to help in mass immunization exercises are compensated in the form of allowances, which go to the individual nurses and not to KATH as an institution.