Wa Regional Hospital Medical Director removed, directed to refund GHc 25,000
The Ghana Health Service has relieved Dr. Barnabas Gandau of his duties as the Wa Regional Hospital Medical Director over alleged misappropriation and misapplication of hospital funds.
He has been released back to the University of Development Studies, where he was earlier, effective August 19, 2019.
A letter from the service said his continued stay at the hospital “will not be in the best interest of the service.”
This was after a review of the probe into operations at the Wa Regional Hospital by the Internal Audit Division of the Ghana Health Service.
Dr. Gandau’s removal was in line with recommendations from the auditors.
“The root cause of the infractions, which has led to misappropriation and misapplication of funds belonging to the hospital, has been attributed to lack of proper management supervision on your part as the head of finance of the facility.”
Dr. Gandau has also been directed to refund GHc25,000 which was granted him in March 2016 as a salary advance.
He, alongside the hospital’s Head of Finance, may also be required to refund some GHc 153,096 noted as excess payments in incentive allowances that could not be retrieved from beneficiaries.
Per the audit report, he was said to have “unilaterally increased the threshold of allowances for staff working in deprived areas in contravention of the thresholds specified by the Director-General.”
The Head of Finance was also found to be negligent in his professional conduct by “effecting the payments in accordance with the instructions by the Medical Director.”