Maravi

Health PS admits improper handling of doctors' car loans

Health PS admits improper handling of doctors' car loans
By Jack Zimba
Friday April 04, 2008 [04:00]

THE car loan scheme for doctors was not properly handled, health Permanent Secretary Dr Simon Miti has admitted. Appearing before the parliamentary committee on health, Dr Miti, who was answering a question from Patriotic Front Kantanshi member of parliament Yamfwa Mukanga on Tuesday, said proper guidelines in administering the loans were not being followed.

He told the committee that the scheme was being administered by the Resident Doctors Association under the defunct Central Board of Health. He said the programme could have been handled better.

Mukanga wondered why the scheme was “mismanaged” when it was managed by doctors, who are supposed to exhibit high levels of professionalism in their work. Dr Miti said his ministry was still conducting a verification exercise to help recover money from those who benefited from the car loan scheme. He could not, however, specify the amount of money the government might have lost through the scheme. He said the ministry managed to recover one vehicle from a doctor who had relocated to South Africa.

Dr Miti also disclosed that the Ministry of Health was planning to extend the car loan scheme to nurses and other health personnel. Under the scheme introduced by the government in 2005, about 500 doctors were supposed to benefit.

Labels: PERMANENT SECRETARIES, SIMON MITI

posted by MrK @ 4:10 PM