UG hospital paid over GHC130,000 as allowances without authorization – Auditor General

It has emerged that, the University of Ghana Hospital failed to exercise due diligence when it paid an amount of GHc 138, 047.73 as theatre allowances to its nurses and other administrative staff.

In a report, the Auditor General said the amount was paid into the hospital accountant’s personal bank account without proper authorization.

“We noted from our review of payment vouchers that a total amount of GH¢138,047.73 was paid into the Hospital Accountant’s (Mr. Dominic Adjei-Kyereh) personal bank account as theatre allowance to nurses and administrative staff of the Hospital”, the report stated.

The Auditor General advised that similar payments to a group of persons as allowances should never be paid into an individual’s account.

“Any authorization for disbursement for a group of staff should not be solely deposited into one recipient’s personal bank account before onward payment to the intended beneficiaries. Again, all payments should
be adequately supported with the list of beneficiaries to ensure that the amount is properly due and payable.”

Meanwhile, the University’s management stated that instructions have been issued not to pay funds into personal accounts of individual accounts before disbursements.

Absence of a procurement unit at UG Hospital operations

Also, the Hospital does not have its own procurement unit and does not liaise with the University’s Central Procurement Unit (CPU), a situation the Auditor General lamented.

This meant that all procurement procedures are performed by a select team at the Hospital with the help of the requisition department/unit and other experts, without any clear procedures and procurement ownership.

It led to long delays in the procurement of essential drugs and other consumables, leaving the Hospital to depend on vendors to set up and sell their products through a community pharmacy sale and return system.

The report therefore recommended that “management should establish a procurement coordinating unit at the Hospital (considering the nature of its procurement activities) with clear policies and procedures.”

But, management of the University stated that in the short-term, the Procurement Unit will consider having its presence at the Hospital to facilitate prompt response to their procurement needs while the Council has approved the restructuring proposal to transform the Unit to a Directorate.

Source: citinewsroom.com