Allegations of corruption have rocked the Greater Accra Regional Hospital popularly known as the Ridge Hospital.
According to some Concerned Staff of the health facility, some alleged medical directors and bigwigs at the Ghana Health Service and the Office of the President are engaged in awarding illegal contracts to their cronies.
They said in a statement that the corrupt activities, described as systematic and deliberate, have reportedly led to the deterioration of the hospital’s operations.
“Privatization of Imaging Department to a foreign company. The hospital pays 80% of the revenue from the imaging department every month to the company for no work done. It is just a broad-day robbery.
“All the equipment in the department is for the hospital, the staff are all paid by the government, consumables are provided by the hospital and the hospital’s local biomedical engineers maintain the equipment. The only thing the two white men do in the hospital is write memos for payment every month.”
The staff also noted that the cleaning service in the hospital is done by a private company which didn’t go through any procurement process.
“Cleaning service in the hospital is done by a private company which didn’t go through any procurement process since 2017 and their payment was determined by the then director general of Ghana Health Services, who is the owner of the company (Ash Town Cleaning company) after he had sacked the legitimate and incorruptible medical director Dr Anaba.”
“The security of the hospital is provided by a private company this also didn’t go through any procurement processes and the company (Safe Africa) is also owned by a lady who got it through… The payment of this company was also dictated to the hospital by… The hospital’s local security is only stationed at the old building and they are mostly used to wash staff cars. Meanwhile, they are paid by the government and some through the IGF of the hospital.”
“The corporate unit of the hospital is fast collapsing as a result of the mismanagement, incompetence and tyrant nature of one Dr, a pulpit of a senior minister, the unit is closing down from 1st January as medical doctors are tired of the medical director tyranny.
“The hospital is fast deteriorating due to these corrupt practices and we call on the transition team to suspend the 80% payment to this foreign company whose contract was signed for 15 years. We also request that all money paid to this company be refunded to the hospital and all those involved should be prosecuted. All these corrupt practices started after the sacking of the visionary and competent medical director (Dr Anaba).
“All these illegal contracts should be suspended and the right procurement procedures should be followed to engage the most qualified companies for these jobs. We call for the immediate removal of the corrupt, incompetent, pathological liar and vindictive medical director before he completely collapses the hospital which has been in the intensive care unit for some years now.”
Source: Manteaw Amos/Ghanaweb
