In the wake of the controversy that has dogged the presidency over the termination of the contract between Unibank and the nation’s premiers hospital, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the head of Public Relations (PR) of the hospital has disclosed that because Unibank is unable to provide a befitting revenue collection software, “Korle Bu is currently in a stalemate where it continues to lose all the benefits of the End-to-End Hospital Revenue Collection Software.

Mustapha Salifu, in a statement issued last Friday to clarify what he describes as distortions in respect of the contract for onsite banking services in Korle Bu, explained the circumstances under which Unibank won the contract, saying: A total of six banks were shortlisted to undergo a competitive selection process which was scored in 2015. Stanbic Bank emerged first and UniBank was 4th. A decision was taken to select Stanbic Bank that was first and UniBank that was 4th to partition the collection of revenue in the hospital.

When the Hospital submitted the names of the two banks to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department for approval, it raised issues about weaknesses in UniBank’s operations in two other hospitals in the metropolis. These issues were: Reconciliations challenges, delays, non-provision of real-time access to relevant stakeholders.

He continued that “In spite of the advice of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, an MoU was signed, appointing UniBank to simultaneously collect revenue in the Hospital with Stanbic Bank with the proviso that any party can terminate the MoU giving 90-DAYS NOTICE OF TERMINATION.

As the two banks started the onsite banking services the leakages persisted, Management decided to search for an End-to-End Hospital Revenue Collection Software to integrate and network its operations.”

According to Mustapha Salifu Stanbic Bank and UniBank were both requested to submit proposals for an End-to-End Hospital Revenue Collection Software in 2015 and the two banks were invited to make presentations on the End-to-End Hospital Revenue Collection Software in two different sessions in 2015.

However, Stanbic Bank successfully presented an efficient software while UniBank failed to turn up during the two presentation sessions. Management thus awarded a contract to Stanbic Bank to pilot the new software in the entire hospital which is valued at USD240, 000.

The software if implemented, the head of the PR said, will simultaneously reduce revenue leakages and increase our revenue base while improving the hospital’s operations in several other areas, both operational and clinical care.

The Stanbic Bank approved End-to-End Hospital Revenue Collection Software was obviously not compatible with the UniBank’s software. Management therefore decided to discontinue the MoU with UniBank in order to enable Stanbic Bank deploy the new software throughout the entire Hospital – covering areas where Stanbic and UniBank were collecting revenue.

In view of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Korle Bu and the banks for the onsite banking services, in which either party can terminate the contract by giving a 90-day notice, a Management decision, a notice of termination was given to UniBank on 12th July 2017.