The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), James Klutse Avedzi, has given the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) a three-month ultimatum to recover all illegal payments made to employees who have vacated their posts but continue to receive salaries. This directive was issued during a Public Accounts sitting at Parliament House.
The 2023 Auditor-General’s report revealed significant issues of unearned salaries and unsupported payment vouchers for many employees, primarily nurses. The report indicated that many nurses applied for study leave or annual leave, traveled abroad, and never returned, while others pursued different careers after their studies.
Additionally, the report uncovered that uncollected rent charges for staff and unserved bond periods were disregarded yet validated by the administrators of the Ghana Health Service. The Auditor-General recommended the recovery of these funds.
In response, the Committee directed that all monies be recovered within three months and deposited into the Auditor-General Recovery Accounts at the Bank of Ghana.
The Committee also instructed the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, to monitor the actions of his staff, who often request study or annual leave and fail to return to work. Dr. Aboagye stated that arrangements are being made to collect the indebtedness from defaulters.
Health institutions that appeared before the Committee included Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Pantang Hospital, LEKMA Hospital, Achimota Hospital, and Mamprobi Hospital. Others included the National Blood Service, Regional Medical Stores, Accra, National Cardiothoracic Centre, National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre, and the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Hon. Adelaide Ntim (MP), the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, and heads of health institutions were in attendance.
