The Medical Director of the Wa Regional Hospital, Dr Barnabas Bamaaha Naa Gandau, has been relieved of his position by the Ghana Health Service effective August 19, 2019
He has been directed to hand over in good shape every property in his possession that belonged to the facility to the Clinical Coordinator.
The Head of finance of the facility (whose name has been given) has also been relieved of his position and transferred to the headquarters.
In a letter dated July 9, 2019 which was signed by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Anthony Nsiah- Asare and copied the Minister of health, as well as the Regional Director of the service, Dr Osei Kuffour Afreh, said the two were relieved of their position for lack of proper management supervision that had led to misappropriation and misapplication of funds belonging to the hospital.
The letter directed Dr Gandau to facilitate the retrieving of an amount of GH¢153,096.00 which was an excess of deprived incentive allowances paid or be held liable for his role played in that regard.
He is also to refund an amount of GH¢25,000 which was granted to him on March 24, 2016 but had not been paid back.
Also, in an audit committee report on the regional hospital attached to the letter and dated May 23, 2019, which was signed by the Chairman of the GHS Audit Committee, Mr David Annan-Bonny, a total of GH¢ 134,990.72 cash revenue collected could not be accounted for.
“Contrary to policy that funds in the drug account should be utilised in respect of procurement of drugs as well as drug related activities, the hospital utilised a total amount of GH¢ 96,278.23 on non-drug activity. The misapplied drug fund should be refunded by the hospital management into the drug account latest by August 30, 2019 and the evidence provided for verification,” the letter stated.
It also said the hospital management failed to pay back an amount of GH¢404,148.76 it borrowed from the drug account for hospital related activities and directed that the amount should be paid back latest by August 30, 2019.
“Some items amounting to GH₵ 24,399.77 were procured by the management of the hospital but were not routed through the stores as required. The items involved should be routed through the stores with retrospective effect to complete the transaction, failure of which amount involved should be surcharged to the officers who initiated the purchase,” the letter noted
When contacted, the Regional Director, Dr Afreh confirmed the letter and its content and said a copy had been issued to the parties concerned.
He said he had a responsibility to ensure a smooth handing over and the execution of the recommendations in the audit report and would not relent on his duties.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Times on Sunday, Dr Gandau also confirmed receipt of the letter but declined to make any other comment on it.
He said he would consult his lawyers before consenting to any indepth interview with the media on the issue.
Dr Gandau had since been released to the University for Development Studies from where he came to administer the hospital on secondment.
He was appointed the medical director in 2016 amidst heavy protest from some staff of the facility who took to the streets and also laid down their tools to register their displeasure over the appointment of Dr Gandau as medical director instead of one Dr Chris Fofie who had worked with the facility for 10 years.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, WA
