Minister petitioned to probe financial mismanagement at Korle-Bu

The Korle-Bu Senior Staff Association (KOSSA) has petitioned the Minister of Health Kwaku Agyemang-Manu to probe financial mismanagement at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

The call comes on the back of 3FM’s news investigations that revealed the unilateral payment of about 306,000 cedis allowance by management of the hospital.

The petition which is dated the 2nd of February but submitted on the 6th of February, 2017 is captioned “call for probe into unilateral payment of about 306,000.00 allowance by the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital management to itself and allied matters”.

It was signed by the general secretary of the association James Clifford Oblittey.

“This payment brings to question the competence and integrity of the Chief Executive, the Director of Finance, the Director of Administration and the Chief Internal Auditor. It thus reveals how unsafe the fortunes of the Hospital are in the light of such gross abuse and act of impunity.”

According to the general secretary, the association is hopeful a probe will offer the new government the opportunity to restore the lost glory of the country’s premier teaching hospital.

“We are calling for probe into the allowance, this is because we realized that the board has denied any knowledge of the disbursement and if we look at the welfare of the hospital and what has happened we think there must be a probe to retrieve those monies. We will follow-up next week then we would decide on our next line of action’’.

Below is the PETITION

CALL FOR PROBE INTO UNILATERAL PAYMENT OF ABOUT 306,000.00 ALLOWANCE BY THE KORLE BU TEACHING HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT TO ITSELF AND ALLIED MATTERS.

For over three years now, KOSSA has been embroiled in many exchanges with the Board and Management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for unprofessional and corrupt conducts.

The most current is the payment of about ?306.000.00 (three hundred and six thousand Cedis) to the Management of the Hospital,this unilateral payment to itself was done around December, 2016.

It is instructive to note that this payment was beside the approved ¢100.00 (one hundred Cedis) paid each staff, including Management, as approved by the Board of Directors. This payment brings to question the competence and integrity of the Chief Executive, the Director of Finance, the Director of Administration and the Chief Internal Auditor.

It thus reveals how unsafe the fortunes of the Hospital are in the light of such gross abuse and act of impunity.

Sir, it is not our pleasure as KOSSA to seem to be constantly at the throat of Management; but when we see the plight of patients and lack of some basic materials that enhance quality health care of client’s vis-à-vis outrageous expenditures on non-essentials, it strikes our concerns.

We wish to refer you to three main letters/reports that we had submitted to your predecessors on +lth, with the heading:ACTS OF IMPUNITY BY THE KORLE BU TEACHING HOSPITAL BOARD AND MANAGEMENT; The second was dated 20/05/2016 again addressed to the Minister of Health titled:CONSOLIDATION OF FINANCIAL IRREGULARITIES TO RUN DOWN THE KORLE-BU TEACHING HOSPITAL (KBTH) BY UNPATRIOTIC PERSONS IN AUTHORITY – FRAUDULENT ELEVATION OF THE KBTH’s INTERNAL AUDITOR TO THE STATUS OF A DIRECTOR.

Sir, in the face of the overwhelming acts of indiscretion, dereliction of duty and professional incompetence, KOSSA calls for a probe into the financial management of the KBTH.

It is our hope a probe will offer the incoming administration to find its feet to revive KBTH to exceed its former glory as the biggest health facility in West Africa with quality health service delivery. It is the hope that KOSSA can be assured of your integrity and co-operation in this national enterprise.

Yours faithfully,

James Clifford Oblitey