The Ministry of Health, which oversees activities in the health sector in Ghana and is headed by Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, was arguably the most criticised government agency for the year 2023.
In fact, many governance experts, including members of the ruling New Patriotic Party, wondered why President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has not relieved the Minister for Health, Agyemang Manu of his duties because of the many perceived blunders and scandals that took place in the ministry and some of its agencies.
The minister managed to retain his job despite the wave of scandals and calls for his head and is probably on his way to completing the second term of the Akufo-Addo government without any problems at all.
Here are some of the scandals that befell the health ministry in 2023:
Increase in dialysis fee from GH¢380 to GH¢765 at Korle Bu:
The health ministry came under intense scrutiny after Ghanaians were left bewildered by reports of an increase in the cost of dialysis treatment for patients with non-functioning kidneys in the nation’s premier hospital, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).
The anger was in reaction to a supposed notification by the management of the hospital that the cost of dialysis had been increased from GH¢380 to over GH¢765. A notice by the head of unit reads “Cost of Dialysis has been increased from GH¢380 to over GH¢765.42”.
What made matters worse was the closure of the dialysis unit as the impasse on the increment in the cost of dialysis treatment was being resolved. The Minister for Health, whose outfit had direct supervision of the hospital as well as the management of the hospital was hauled before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health because the decision to close the renal unit came with some disastrous consequences.
According to broadcaster Dr Randy Abbey, about 19 people died as a result of the decision to close the Renal Dialysis Unit of KBTH, which was done over a GH¢400 million debt.
“19 people are reported to have died because the Renal Unit at Korle Bu was closed down over GH¢400 million under-recoveries. GH¢400 million! GH¢400 million! not dollars and 19 people have lost their lives.
“And the thing has to be closed and talk and talk, it is supposed to have been opened yesterday or so, 19 people have died,” he fumed.
He added, “And people have their jobs, people are able to sleep freely, people are even able to speak to us about elections 14 months away when issues about a GH¢400 million under-recovery has led to the closer of the Renal Unit and 19 people have lost their lives,” he said.
Storage of HIV drug:
Another ‘scandal’ that hit the health ministry in 2023 was the shortage of anti-retroviral medication for persons living with HIV.
The Ghana Network of Persons Living with HIV (NAP+ Ghana) announced an acute shortage of anti-retroviral medication specifically the Abacavir Lamivudine regimen for Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) across the country.
In a statement by the group dated October 5, 2023, the group said that the situation has persisted since August 2023 when members of the association reported the shortage of the medication needed daily to help patients attain viral suppression.
“Our members across Ghana reported a shortage of the adult dose of ABACAVIR LAMIVUDINE in August this year,” the group said.
The group revealed that a sufficient number of the anti-retroviral drugs purchased with donor funding have been detained at the port over tax clearance issues.
“The anti-retroviral medication had been bought with donor funds and at no cost to the Country and should not attract tax. Meanwhile, they are being held until AU TAX, ECOWAS TAX and COVID-19 TAX are paid before we can access our medication,” NAP+ Ghana said.
“Of utmost concern is that some persons who are put on Abacavir/Lamivudine which is stuck at the harbour, are persons who had kidney and liver problems while on the TLD regimen. One of our members has not been on medication for 4 months due to a shortage of Abacavir/Lamivudine in her facility.
“Our investigations revealed that in some facilities, prescribers give Abacavir/Lamivudine medication meant for children to adults. Therefore, instead of one tablet a day, they have to take five tablets in the morning and five tablets in the evening, of the children’s dose,” the group added.
NAP+ Ghana warned that the continued delay of the drugs at the port will lead to the building of resistance of the disease to the anti-retroviral resulting in more complications in patients.
Shortage of childhood immunisation drugs:
Another shortage of drugs that hit the health ministry in 2023, was that of vaccines used for routine vaccination of children from childbirth to age 18 months in some parts of the country.
Vaccines for diseases such as measles (Measles-Rubella [MR]), polio (Oral Polio Vaccine [OPV]), and tuberculosis became scarce in hospitals. This increased the vulnerability of the very children the vaccines are meant to protect.
The Western, Greater Accra, Central, Upper West, Bono, Eastern, and Upper East regions were among the regions affected by the vaccine shortage.
The sector’s minister came out to explain that vaccines were in short supply globally because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this fact has been confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He said that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most vaccine manufacturing firms diverted their resources to the production of COVID-19 vaccines, which was now affecting the supply chain of vaccines for the immunization of children.
However, this explanation did not wash as many stakeholders in the sector said that the suppliers of the affected vaccines were no longer making them available to Ghana because of the debts owed them by the government.
Health Ministry infractions in 2023 COVID-19 audit report:
Again, the ministry was cited for serious infractions in the special audit of the Government of Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure.
In the report, the Auditor General noted that the Ministry of Health on behalf of the Government of Ghana paid an amount of $120,192,379.80 to UNICEF/VAT for the supply of vaccines, “However, 5,109,600.00 doses of vaccines valued at $38,322,000.00 were supplied to the National Cold Room leaving a difference of US$81,870,379.00 with UNICEF/AVAT.
The report also disclosed that the Ministry of Health leased a building for 25 years for over GH¢15million. It also stated that the ministry used over GH¢20 million to refurbish the building which was to serve as a COVID-19 isolation centre but was never used.
“The Ministry of Health entered into a 25-year Finance Lease Agreement at a total lease value of GH¢15,265,000.00 in 2020 to be used as a holding and isolation centre in Adaklu in the Volta Region.
“The works, we noted, include remodelling the existing buildings to be used as holding, treatment and isolation centres but could not use the facility for the intended purpose which resulted in an additional cost of GH¢20,382,247.70,” parts of the report read.
BAI/OGB
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Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu (right) and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo