The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has been ordered by the Auditor-General to stop making unauthorised salary payments, having spent an alleged GH¢14 million from its internally generated funds over 13 months, from 2022 to 2024, contravening the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA).
According to the Auditor-General’s report, KBTH is facing serious financial management issues, and it is yet to recover the amount.
This was revealed on Monday during the public hearing of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament in Accra. PAC on Monday, September 29, reconvened to continue its public hearings to review the Auditor-General’s report for the year ending December 31, 2024.
The Committee will, from Monday to Wednesday, October 1, scrutinise various government MDAs for alleged financial irregularities.
Among the ministries appearing before the committee will be the Ghana Statistical Service, Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Ministry for the Interior, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
The others are the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Art, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology, and the Ministry of Transport.
The PAC’s scrutiny of the Auditor-General’s report highlights the Committee’s commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in government financial dealings.
Further, KBTH has also allegedly been found liable for judgment debt payments totalling GH¢113,500 for two cases of negligence involving health personnel.
“These cases include an overdose of medication to a deceased person, and a swap of mortal remains of a deceased patient. The hospital has been ordered to recover the amount,” the report said. The Auditor-General’s findings raised concerns about the hospital’s financial management practices and adherence to regulatory frameworks.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability in managing public funds.
As a result, the Finance Ministry is working to ensure that government institutions adhere to financial regulations and recover unauthorised payments.
The government has pledged to take swift action to remove “ghost names” and close loopholes, restoring integrity to public financial management.
In a related development, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has made progress in recovering unearned salaries paid to some of its staff, a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) public hearing has revealed.
According to the Director-General, Professor Kaba Akoriyea, the service had recovered a total of GH¢10,900 from four individuals, including GH¢2,445 from Mr Daniel Boateng and GH¢3,000 from Madam Elizabeth Nsiah, with an additional GH¢5,455 recovered from two other staff members.
He made the announcement on Monday when he appeared before the PAC in Parliament House.
“Honourable Chair, the GHS has been working to strengthen its staff validation process to prevent similar cases of unearned salary payments in the future.
“The service has reviewed its validation process to include monthly checks to identify absent staff members and engage guarantors and families of staff who vacated posts after study leave for refunds,” he said.
PAC on Monday, September 29, reconvened to continue its public hearings to review the Auditor-General’s report for the year ending December 31, 2024. The Committee will, from Monday to Wednesday, October 1, scrutinize various government MDAs for alleged financial irregularities.
Among the ministries appearing before the committee will be the Ghana Statistical Service, Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Ministry for the Interior, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department, and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs.
The others are the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Art, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology, and the Ministry of Transport.
The PAC’s scrutiny of the Auditor-General’s report highlights the committee’s commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in government financial dealings.
PAC has taken note of these recoveries and has given the validation officer 90 days to pay the unrecovered sum of unearned salaries totaling GH¢21,445, which was paid to staff in 2023.
By Elsie Appiah-Osei
GNA
