26 Health Institutions to face prosecution for uncompetitive procurement of goods and services totaling GH¢5,895,822.00

By Edzorna Francis Mensah

The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC), has called for the criminal prosecution of about 26 Health Institutions under the Ghana Health Service for procuring goods and services in the sum of GH¢5,895,822.00 without competitive tender, contrary to the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) sections 35 and 43.

In his ruling on the matter, Chairman of the Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, during the ongoing public hearing in Parliament on January 18, to consider the report of the Auditor General on the public accounts of Ghana: Ministries, departments, and other agencies for the year ended December 31, 2020, asked the Attorney-General Department to handle the issue.

The Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) says entities shall procure goods, services, or works by competitive tendering; and that, the procurement entity shall request quotations from as many suppliers or contractors as practicable but from at least three different sources.

Report of the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of Ghana: Ministries, Departments, and other Agencies for year ended 31st December 2020 cited that some 26 Budget Management Centers of some health institutions have failed to comply with the procurement laws.

This made the Chairman of the Committee refer the under-listed BMCs to the Attorney General’s Office for possible prosecution as follows:

For the Ministry of Health, headquarters, Greater Accra, an amount of Ghs 348,978.00 of payment voucher was paid without complying with the procurement laws. At National cardiothoracic center Greater Accra, an amount of GH¢2,227,703.43 of payment voucher was paid

The rest of the Budget management centers with the number of payment vouchers without complying with the law:

1. National cardiothoracic center Greater Accra GH¢1, 321, 357.35
2. Sege polyclinic, Greater Accra with 13 payment vouchers of GH¢41,394.65
3. Prampram Polyclinic Greater Accra with 14 payment vouchers of GH¢156,143.38
4. Old Ningo Health Center Greater Accra with 3 payment vouchers totaling GH¢70, 507.32
5. Municipal health administration, Jirapa, Upper East GH¢18, 540.00
6. District health administration, Gwollu, upper East with 4 payment vouchers of  GH¢18,005.00
7. District Health Directorate, Nadowli, Upper East, with 2 payment vouchers of GH¢108, 531.90
8. Wa west District Hospital, Wechiau, upper west of GH¢88.979.75
9. Lawra Municipal Hospital, upper west of GH¢14,447.30
10. Dorma East District Directorate, Wamfie, Bono with 5 payment vouchers of GH¢34, 322.00
11. Municipal Health Directorate, Dunkwa on Offin, Central, with 5 payment vouchers of  GH¢19,271.00
12. District Health Directorate, Diaso, Central, with 16 payment vouchers of GH¢37, 832.00
13. Sunyani Municipal Hospital, Bono, with 24 payment vouchers of GH¢53, 321.20
14. Banda Health Directorate, Bono, with 1 payment voucher of GH¢184,885.00
15. Municipal Health Directorate, Ejisu, Ashanti, with 4 payment vouchers of GH¢19, 082.00
16. Municipal Health Directorate, Kibi, Eastern with 4 payment vouchers of GH¢32,598.00
17. Regional Health Directorate, Ho, GH¢283, 895.63
18. Agona Health Directorate, Agona Nsaba, Central with 2 payment vouchers of  GH¢64,349.50
19. Agona Health Directorate, Agona Nsaba, Central with 10 payment vouchers of  GH¢41,843.40
20. Nsaba Health Center, Agona Nsaba, Central with 6 payment vouchers  of GH¢19, 934.84
21. KEEA Municipal Health Directorate, Central of an amount of GH¢78, 680.87
22. Ankaful Leprosy and General Hospital, Central, GH¢263,370.83
23. Elimina polyclinic, Central, GH¢87,533.32 and
24. Ankaful psychiatric hospital, Central GH¢5,895,821.90