The Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has debunked allegations of spending more than one million Ghana cedis on luxury vehicles.
The Board Chairman, Edward Annan and CEO, Rev. Albert Botchway, told a press conference that the allegations were baseless and reiterated the board and management commitment to providing affordable tertiary healthcare to patients.
The CEO explained that the car purchase was an offer from the Ministry of Health to sector institutions, which would be paid over three years and the board took advantage of it.
He said the vehicles came at a price of GHC84,000 each and KBTH purchased nine through its Internally Generated Funds (IGF) and noted that all directors, except two have been provided.
On the shortage of non-drug consumables and monthly payment to a board member as chairman of Restructuring Committee, he noted that management was amazed at the allegation and rubbished it, saying no such thing happened.
The Acting CEO insisted all management wanted was to serve their country and that no one was hiding anything, adding that auditors were currently at KBTH auditing accounts of the entire department in the hospital
According to him the board and management had improved on Infrastructural development with new departments while others were under construction.
The departments are a new stroke ward, new psychiatric ward, pediatric surgery theatre, catering department, laundry department, main surgical theatre suites, the West Africa Moorfields eye centre and an executive wing.
He said the focus of Management this year is to reduce waste with revitalized Audit.
On Payment of Salaries and Arrears of Nurses Doctors and other Clinical Staff as per KBTH agreement and schedule for the payment of arrears for nurses and doctors, he said, the Hospital had paid more than half of the total arrears owed them.
The board chairman said �if saving KBTH millions of Cedis by blocking leakages in the system, thereby stepping on toes, resulting in threat to lives, was wrong, I would then not do right.�
Giving instance of some of the rot at KBTH, he noted that, �an item that cost 80 pesewas was inflated to GHc 4.00, while an item for GHc300.00 was inflated to GHc1000.00 and the head of department saw nothing wrong with it�, adding that, when the deal was cancelled KBTH saved millions of Cedis.
�I am not here to haunt anyone but I would not be part of any plan where people amass wealth.�
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