Sweden asks MoH to improve accountability
By Henry Sinyangwe and Ashleigh Mostert
Tue 12 June 2012, 13:23 CAT
SWEDISH Ambassador to Zambia lena Nordstrom says the fight against corruption is an ongoing task and has asked the Ministry of Health to strengthen its accountability structures.
Speaking when her government released K33.5 billion for health sector improvement to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, Ambassador Nordstrom said her government was committed to supporting the Zambian health sector following the progress made by the Ministry of Health in recent years to improve accountability and transparency in management of funds.
The Swedish government had withheld funding to the Ministry of Health following a scandal where US$33 million of donor funding was reportedly abused.
"I am delighted to be able to make this vote of confidence to the Ministry of Health and also wish to congratulate all those who have worked very hard on setting things straight. When our Minister of Development Co-operation, Gunilla Carlson, visited Zambia in November last year, she went to Chongwe to visit health centres and hospitals, to talk to women who waited for antenatal care, to those who had just delivered and to the medical staff and traditional birth attendants performing miracles with bicycle ambulances on impossible roads. Today we are translating the Swedish government's commitment into reality and the funds transferred will be used for exactly those women. She Carlson would have liked to be here with you today," Ambassador Nordstrom said.
She said the Ministry of Health should put up strong oversight and accountability structures to avoid misuse of funds.
"Management based on results and performance, transparency and openness in the systems is of benefit not only for the Ministry of Health, but will result in better medical service for more Zambians, especially those in rural areas," said Ambassador Nordstrom.
And health minister Dr Joseph Kasonde said the government has since 2009 been implementing the governance action plan to strengthen the management capacity of the ministry in order to promote transparency, accountability and best practices in managing public resources.
"I am pleased to announce to the nation that as a result of the joint efforts between government and its cooperating partners to enhance good governance in the health sector, the oversight and fiduciary role of the ministry is now extremely positive," said Dr Kasonde.
"It is our commitment that service delivery shall continue to improve in order to realise our commitments to the Zambian people."
Labels: CORRUPTION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, SWEDEN, TRANSPARANCY
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MoH commissions cancer-screening centres in Chipata, Katete
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sun 05 Feb. 2012, 13:01 CAT
HEALTH minister Dr Joseph Kasonde says there is need to strengthen laws that prohibit tobacco use, especially in public places. And the Ministry of Health has commissioned two cancer screening equipment at Chipata General Hospital and St Francis Mission Hospital in Katete.
Meanwhile, a person living with cancer Amy Sikazwe says there are a lot of myths surrounding cancer diseases in society. Officiating at the World Cancer Day commemoration in Chipata yesterday, Dr Kasonde said there was special effort that was being made to stop those that smoke in public.
"By smoking in public, make it necessary for those that are innocently present in that public to seek medical attention...Control of alcohol consumption is something again that belongs to us as individuals. The government shall endevour to promote healthy lifestyles and regular exercises," Dr Kasonde said.
He said the role of government, particularly his ministry, was to create an enabling environment for public awareness on cancer through public health programmes and community sensitisation.
Dr Kasonde said his ministry would promote a focused and integrated approach to disease prevention so that it does not only focus on infections but also remember the increasing rise of cancer.
He urged the general public to take interest in cancer by promoting healthy lifestyles for prevention of the disease and regular screening.
"In this case I am pleased to say that we have had a team here and in the last few days there has been a screening exercise provided by a team of cancer experts. They saw 883 people...Those checked for breast cancer were 459, those for cervix were 387 and those for prostate were 27. Those that have been diagnosed and assisted in getting treatment were 38 out of the 883 which is about four per cent," said Dr Kasonde.
And Sikazwe, who gave a background on how she was diagnosed with cancer, said they were a lot of myths about the disease in society today.
She said one of the myths was that those that are diagnosed with cancer would die from the disease.
Sikazwe said some people think that cancer was contagious.
"They are a lot of stories about cancer. People end up going to witchdoctors, people end up going to wrong places to look for medicines when they are actually delaying. What is critical is if cancer is discovered early, if it is diagnosed early it can be treated like you see me here and you can get well so we should not delay by going kumang'anga (witchdoctors)…," said Sikazwe.
And briefing the press on Thursday ahead of the World Cancer Day commemorations that fell yesterday, acting Eastern Province medical officer Dr Francis Bwalya said the two centres would be used to screen people for various cancers.
"The minister Dr Kasonde is going to commission this equipment that has been procured by the ministry with assistance or in partnership with Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia and this equipment is going to be installed at Chipata General and St Francis Mission Hospital," he said.
Labels: CHIPATA, EASTERN PROVINCE, HEALTHCARE, KATETE, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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There's no hospital drugs shortage-MoH
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Sun 18 Dec. 2011, 13:57 CAT
THE Ministry of Health says no user fees are supposed to be charged for people receiving heathcare services at primary level. And the ministry's acting spokesperson Dr Maximillian Bweupe says there is no shortage of drugs in the country. In an interview on Thursday, Dr Bweupe explained that the guidance and policy directive was very clearly given by President Michael Sata when he opened Parliament.
During a tour of Ndola Central Hospital on Monday by Copperbelt Minister John Kafuna, the minister said it was unfortunate that patients continue paying to access medical services when the government had abolished user fees in hospitals.
But Ndola Central Hospital senior medical superintendent Dr Dande Malawo said the institution had continued charging user fees because it had not received a written memo from the Ministry of Health on abolition of user fees
But Dr Bweupe said following the directive from the President, this meant that preventive and curative services at primary healthcare level - from the health centers to the district levels - were all supposed to be free.
"And this had now been extended to urban areas because initially in about 2006, the user fees were waived for rural areas but this has been extended to all urban areas as well. So what this means is that for people who seek care at primary level, they are not supposed to be charged fees; these include registration fees, admission fees and even when these patients are referred to higher centers, it means that even there because they came in through that system at primary care, they are not supposed to be charged fees," he said.
He said finance minister Alexander Chikwanda reaffirmed this when he presented the budget.
Dr Bweupe said the permanent secretary Dr Peter Mwaba had written a memorandum to the Secretary to the Cabinet for him to provide guidance on the implementation.
He said Dr Mwaba also held a meeting with all the provincial medical officers a month ago.
"So the clear guidance is that the user fees have been removed. What is going to remain is what is called bypass fees; when you decide not to go through the primary health system and you refer yourself to a higher centre, for example, if you go directly to UTH without passing through the clinic and general hospital, it means you have bypassed the referral system and there is a fee which will be charged to you by the hospital. So bypass fees still remain and the high cost services will be attracting the normal high cost fees," he explained.
"So having said that even where we have the bypass fees remaining, emergency cases are still very much exempt from paying any fees."
On shortage of drugs in the hospitals, Dr Bweupe said looking at the weekly drug store and drug status and what was in the pipeline, there was currently no shortage of drugs.
He explained that UTH being a referral hospital only stocks highly specialised drugs.
He said UTH is not expected to stock ordinary drugs stocked at the lower level clinics.
He said according to the stock status that was normally supplied, the drugs were available in the local clinics.
"You will realise that in any normal logistic system, you might find some mal-distribution where one area over-requested or was over-supplied with one issue and it creates a temporary imbalance in another area. But when you look at what drugs and products are available in the country, they are what we need to have and our drug status is maintained at a very high level," said Dr Bweupe.
Labels: MICHAEL SATA, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, USER FEES
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Typhoid on the rise in Kalabo
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Mon 14 Nov. 2011, 14:00 CAT
THE number of typhoid cases in Kalabo has increased from 78 to 82, says the Ministry of Health. Spokesperson Dr Rueben Mbewe said yesterday that so far, 34 patients were still undergoing treatment. Dr Mbewe said Kalabo had recorded an increase in the number of cases of patients presenting with sudden onset of fever.
He said the first case was recorded at Kalabo District Hospital on October 24, and since then, there had been 82 admissions. Dr Mbewe said the disease was affecting all age groups but the majority were those over the age of 15. He said there had been no deaths recorded so far.
Dr Mbewe said the symptoms of the disease were not specific but the common ones were headaches, poor appetite and general weakness, with or without diarrhoea.
He said the patients were coming from Kalabo Boma and Yuka Mission areas.
Dr Mbewe said laboratory investigations confirmed that the condition was typhoid, a waterborne disease.
He said the source of the outbreak appeared to be contaminated water from Luanginga River.
Dr Mbewe explained that typhoid fever was a bacterial disease caused by ingestion of contaminated food and water.
He said the symptoms may mimic those of malaria but infection may result in severe complications, including intestinal perforation and anaemia.
Dr Mbewe said prevention of typhoid was based on access to safe water, proper sanitation and hygienic food handling and preparation.
He urged the public to maintain the highest level of hygiene to ensure that all drinking water was boiled or chlorinated and that only food that was hygienically prepared was consumed.
Dr Mbewe said hand hygiene must be maintained at all times and all patients with symptoms of typhoid fever must be taken to the nearest health centre immediately.
Labels: DISEASE, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, REUBEN MBEWE
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MoH to conduct aerial mosquito spraying
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Thu 19 May 2011, 04:01 CAT
THE Ministry of Health says it will be conducting aerial mosquito spraying in Lusaka, Chongwe and Kafue using
environmentally friendly larvicides which are mosquito larvae specific and not harmful to humans and any other species.
Spokesperson Dr Kamoto Mbewe said the public should therefore not be alarmed when they see small planes carrying out the spraying activity in selected areas.
Dr Mbewe said the exercise would soon be extended to other parts of the country especially in Luapula, Eastern and Northern provinces where malaria incidence was highest.
He said malaria was endemic in all the nine provinces of Zambia with 90-100 per cent of the population at risk.
“Transmission occurs throughout the year with the peak during the rainy season. Northern, Luapula and Eastern provinces have the highest annual incidence of malaria,” he said.
Dr Mbewe said the Zambian government had identified malaria control as one of its main public health priorities and in view of this position, the government through the National Malaria Control Centre (NMCC), had developed a detailed National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP), aimed at significantly scaling up malaria control interventions towards achievement of the national vision of ‘a malaria a free Zambia’.
He said to support this strategy, the governments of Zambia and Cuba had signed and established an Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical for the period 2009 - 2011, in which the Cuban government was to assist Zambia in malaria control through larviciding using larvicides.
“In view of this a team of experts from Cuba arrived in the country in 2010 to work with Zambian experts in the Ministry of Health to integrate and scale up the Larval Source Management as one of the strategies in the control of malaria to complement the existing interventions such as long lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets (LITNs) and Indoor residual spraying (IRS),” he said.
Dr Mbewe said for several years, it had long been believed that the best way to interrupt malaria transmission was to target adult female mosquitoes with insecticides.
“But evidence shows that those malaria control programmes have ignored fundamental biological difference between mosquito adults and the immature stages. Adults are highly mobile flying insects that can readily detect and avoid intervention measures. Conversely, immature stages are confined within small aquatic habitats and cannot escape control measures,” said Dr Mbewe.
“It’s for this reason that the Ministry of Health has approved Larval control using environmentally friendly larvicides as an alternative and effective way for malaria control if complemented with adult control interventions.
Larviciding is a general term for killing immature mosquitoes by applying agents, collectively called larvicides, to control mosquito larvae and/or pupae.”
Labels: KAMOTO MBEWE, MALARIA, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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Wastefulness and extravagance
By The Post
Fri 01 Apr. 2011, 04:00 CAT
We are told by Dr Peter Mwaba, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health, that in 2009, his ministry spent more than K5 billion in payments to various lodges for seminars, workshops and conferences without seeking Cabinet Office authority.
And Dr Mwaba goes further to say that “in fact these workshops are a source of stress for the ministry. If we can manage this issue of workshops, then we can manage properly the use of resources because this is where issues of imprest arise and so forth”.
Truly, we need to manage the holding of workshops not only at the Ministry of Health but in all government ministries and departments and even at quasi-governmental institutions. This is a major problem even at non-governmental organisations that are funded by donors. Why is this so? This is simply because workshops are an easy conduit for stealing public and donor funds.
If one critically scrutinises the various lodges which were recipients of the K5 billion that is contained in the Auditor General’s report of 2009, it will certainly be discovered that the owners of these lodges have strong connections with the Ministry of Health. If they are not, then those who took those workshops, seminars and conferences to these lodges were beneficiaries of some kickbacks of one form or another from the owners or managers of those lodges.
It will also be discovered that most of the suppliers of services to these workshops, seminars or conferences are directly or indirectly connected to the Ministry of Health. Then of course there are benefits that accrue by mere attendance of these workshops through all sorts of allowances and per diems. Clearly, workshops, seminars and conferences are nothing but another source of corruption.
In saying this, we are not condemning all seminars, workshops and conferences. There are some legitimate ones that should out of necessity take place. But even where this is the case, expenditure at these seminars, workshops or conferences still needs to be managed in an efficient, effective and orderly manner.
Today in Zambia, almost every top civil servant or public officer owns a lodge; and they are fighting for government business to go there. Those who give them government business get huge rewards. And for this to be of value to them, the government or the sponsors of these seminars, workshops or conferences are made to overpay or are over-invoiced, and out of this, some commission is paid in cash to those who have brought the business. In this way, both the owners of the lodge and the civil servants or public officers who have arranged the business benefit. In this way, arranging for and attending workshops, seminars and conferences has become the only discernible preoccupation of most civil servants and public workers. They are very difficult to find in their offices because most of them are out attending workshops, seminars or conferences as a way of making money and enriching themselves.
We are a poor country with the great majority of our people living on far less than one dollar a day, and we can’t afford this type of wastefulness or extravagance. To push the great majority of our people out of extreme poverty needs intense efforts, which should include, among other things, the effort to practice strict economy and combat waste, that is, the policy of building up our country through diligence and frugality. The principle of diligence and frugality should be observed in everything. We say everything because it is not only through seminars, workshops and conferences that public funds are being wasted or stolen. There is also wastefulness and theft in public works and contracts. The same things happening over seminars, workshops and conferences in terms of overpricing, commissions or kickbacks are happening in most public works and contracts. Crooks of all hues are conniving with government officials to get contracts that are overpriced and share the spoils. A look at the schools that the government is today boasting about will reveal that the cost of their construction is far beyond what one would reasonably expect. A school that can be reasonably constructed at a cost of say K2 billion is costing the government in excess of K5 billion. Why? The simple answer is that those in charge of these projects and the friends they are engaging to build these schools are stealing from the government. Today Zambia pays more for a kilometre of tarred road than most countries on this continent. Why? Again, the answer is the same – they are stealing. Gravel roads are costing us too much to maintain. Why? The friends those in government are contracting to do these roads are stealing from the government and are sharing with them. Almost every government project in this country is a big scandal.
Even just a simple look at this Levy Junction NAPSA is today constructing, all those directly connected to it are today swimming in money and are either buying this or constructing that property or lodge. Where is the money coming from? They are not borrowing from banks and the personal projects they are undertaking are far beyond their earned incomes. This in itself is a prima facie case of corruption. Money does not grow on trees, it has to be gotten from something, either legitimately or illegitimately. When you ask them where the money is coming from, they will tell you it’s from travel allowances. If this was true, which we know it is not, there would still be a problem because it will be an indication that we are wasteful in terms of how much we are paying our civil servants and other public officers in travel allowances. Travel on public business should not be for making money. If this is the case, then there is wastefulness because all these people are paid a salary and there is no justification to spend so much money on them for them to bring back home and build lodges and other properties. This is a corrupt way of remunerating our civil servants and public officers. Even Frederick Chiluba boasted about how much money he was making from travel allowances. How can a president be paid travel allowances to bring back home and give his girlfriends in the way Chiluba was doing it? We say this because everything for the president is paid for and there is no need for him to be given cash. But this is the way the Zambian taxpayers’ money is being used to finance wastefulness and extravagance.
We should therefore advocate diligence and frugality and pay special attention to economy. Wherever we happen to be, we must take great care of public resources and must not take a short view and indulge in wastefulness and extravagance. Thrift should be the guiding principle in our government expenditure. It should be made clear to all government workers, including the president and his ministers, that corruption and waste are great crimes. We should take strong and resolute measures against anyone wasting public resources. We should oppose extravagance and pay a lot of attention to thrift and economy.
Labels: MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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ETUZ urges govt to stop abuse of funds at MoE
By Misheck Wangwe
Wed 09 Feb. 2011, 03:59 CAT
BASIC Education Teachers Union (BETUZ) says the government should come up with mechanisms to stop the
rampant abuse of funds at the Ministry of Education.
And the Health Workers Union of Zambia has called for thorough investigations in the abuse of funds in the health sector following revelations by the Auditor General's report.
BETUZ general secretary Jeffrey Simuntala said the union was deeply concerned
with the rampant misappropriation and misapplication of huge sums of money that the ministry failed to account for at the time of the audit as revealed by the Auditor General's report.
According to the Auditor General's report on the accounts for the 2009 financial year, large sums of imprests were not retired, accounts had not been reconciled and there was misappropriation and misapplication of funds coupled with irregular payments.
Simuntala said relevant authorities at the Ministry of Education should explain why payment vouchers of more than K21 billion were not presented for audit contrary to Financial Regulation No.45.
He said it was disappointing to note that authorities at the ministry failed to produce supporting documents for 70 payments amounting to more than K4 billion made during the year under review.
Simutanga said it would be difficult for the country to achieve its targets of providing quality and effective education standards if the abuse of funds was left unchecked.
Auditor General Anna Chifungula had indicated in her report that internal financial controls at the Ministry of Education had deteriorated following an increase in unsupported expenditure form K2,876,334,834 in 2008 to K4,155,052,073 in 2009.
Contrary to Financial Regularisation No.45, 235 payment vouchers in amounts totalling K21,880,882,613 were not presented for audit.
And Health Workers Union general secretary Lewis Mukosha said the irregularities and mismanagement of resources by the Ministry of Health as indicated in the Auditor General’s report were outrageous and must be investigated by the law enforcement agencies.
Mukosha said it was unjustifiable for the ministry to fail to produce receipts for the procurement of drugs amounting to more than K5 billion.
He said the Ministry of Health should also explain why it paid huge sums of money totalling K5,794,403,806 on workshops within the period under review.
Mukosha said it would be difficult for the country to enhance the provision of quality and effective healthcare in the country if measures were not taken to stop the abuse of funds.
“We should not pretend that there is no abuse of funds at the Ministry of Health. We call upon the relevant authorities to move in and investigate these issues thoroughly and the culprits must be brought to book. We will not fold our arms and watch disgruntled public servants to abuse money meant to save lives,” said Mukosha.
The Ministry of Health, according to the Auditor General's Report of 2009, had paid a total of K5,794,403,806 to various lodges for seminars, workshops and conferences without seeking Cabinet authority.
The report further revealed that drugs and other medical supplies costing K5,406,298,725 had no record of receipt and distribution at Medical Stores Limited.
Labels: ANNA CHIFUNGULA, CORRUPTION, EDUCATION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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'Govt has made steady improvements in redressing MoH human resource crisis'
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Mon 08 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT
HEALTH minister Kapembwa Simbao on Friday said the government has made steady improvement in redressing the human resource crisis in the ministry.
In a speech read for him by Eastern Province deputy permanent secretary Nicholas Banda at the combined graduation ceremony for Chipata, Mwami and St Francis schools of nursing and midwifery at Mphangwe Motel in Katete, Simbao said the government was redressing the health human resource crisis by training more nurses and midwives.
He said a good number of health workers that were abroad had come back and were working in various health facilities.
“I am pleased to mention that Chipata, Mwami and St Francis Schools of nursing have steadily been increasing the sizes of their intakes and this will see an improvement in the pool of nurses and midwives in the country despite the many challenges that training institutions are facing,” Simbao said.
He said staffing in the health training schools was a big challenge and that this was why government was working in partnership with the School of Medicine at the University of Zambia in an effort to increase the size of intakes.
Simbao hoped that as partners resume funding to the Ministry of Health, challenges such as financial resources to the sector’s infrastructure development and transport would be taken care of next year.
He said the government would not delay in deploying the graduands to various health care facilities in the country.
Simbao also reminded the graduands about the HIV and AIDS pandemic which he said was real.
Eastern Province health director Dr Kennedy Malama said there was an increase in the output from training institutions in the province because of the enabling environment created through the provision of appropriate human, material and financial resources from government.
Dr Malama said the graduation ceremony was a special one because it had produced an unprecedented 188 graduands.
And speaking of behalf of the three nursing schools, St Francis Nursing School principal Silanda Koliswa said the three institutions had endeavoured to produce nurses and midwives who were able to meet the health challenges faced in the community.
Koliswa said the many hurdles that health staff encounter did not deter them because their profession was a special one.
Labels: KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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MoH paid Kapoko for workshop which didn’t take place - witness
By Namatama Mundia
Fri 05 Nov. 2010, 04:01 CAT
A WITNESS yesterday told the Lusaka Magistrate Court that the Ministry of Health paid its former human resources officer Henry Kapoko over K200 million for a workshop which did not take place.
In this case, Kapoko and nine others are charged with theft by public servant, theft and money laundering amounting to over K4 billion.
Apart from Kapoko, others charged in the offence involving monies paid to Royal College of Business and Management Studies for training workshops include Nobert Peleti, Zukas Kaoma, Valenta Miyoba Chizhyuka Nkhata, Abigail Nzala, Nkhata Kapinda and Enala Matutu Phiri.
Others are Vincent Luhana, Evaristo Musaba, Dr Chrispin Sichone and Christopher Bwalya.
When the matter came up for continued trial, Ministry of Health cashier Danstan Mwansa, 43, told the court that he was last year summoned by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) where he was shown two documents.
He said one of the documents was a voucher which was in connection with a payment which was made to Royal Secretarial College.
“I recall that the voucher was brought to my office by Mr Kapoko and he was alone when he gave me the document, the payee on the voucher was Royal Secretarial College and the amount is over K700 million,” he said.
Mwansa said the voucher was checked by George Zulu and it was passed by the former.
He said he gave the voucher back to Kapoko after he signed it.
Mwansa said ACC also showed him a backing sheet which had five payments.
He said the backing sheet had a payment for Royal Secretarial in the amount over K700 million while the imprest for the workshop was over K200 million.
Mwansa however, told the court that he did not see the voucher for the imprest which was in his name and that he just received a call from the principle accountant, a Mr Kaoma A 2, that there was a payment coming.
“Mr Kaoma told me there was imprest in my name and that cheque was brought to me in town by Mr Kapoko and that time the backing sheet had already gone to the bank,” he said. “I took the cheque to the bank and we cashed the money.”
Mwansa said he received another phone call from Kaoma instructing him not to give the money to Kapoko who brought the cheque but that he takes it to his office.
He said the officers who were supposed to attend the workshop were supposed to get K1,250,000 for 15 days.
Mwansa said he gave Kapoko, the coordinator for the programme, about K46 million to pay those who were not from the Ministry of Health.
He said he has not seen the acquittal sheet since last November.
Mwansa said he did not attend the workshop because they were not called by the coordinators.
During cross examination, Mwansa said he signed on the voucher because it was part of the process for completing a voucher.
He said there was nothing sinister about him signing the voucher.
Mwansa said he had not refunded the K1,250,000 he received for a workshop which has not yet taken off up to now.
He said he passed the payment because everything was okay.
In re-examination, Mwansa said Kapoko was transferred at the time he brought the cheque to him.
The matter has been adjourned to November 18 for continued trial.
Labels: CORRUPTION, HEALTHCARE, HENRY KAPOKO, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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Health Minister dismisses global fund report on heatlh
Friday, October 29, 2010, 14:28
Health minister, Kapembwa Simbao has described as scandalous the global fund report that highlights both the public and private institutions in the country as having misapplied resources meant for the provision of quality health services.
Mr. Simbao said that the Zambian government is being marginalized in the report.He told QFM that the government did not at any point misapply any resources and is being implicated in this matter because the country is the one on the begging end.
He said that the resources were released as per requirement but the workers are the ones who misapplied the fund and government should not be the one to blame.
Mr. Simbao said that in other countries, governments did indeed squander resources but r Zambia particularly never touched that money.
The recent global fund audit report has cited the ministry of health as not possessing the capacity to handle the global fund money.
[QFM]
Labels: CORRUPTION, KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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MoH doesn’t have capacity to manage Global Fund grants
By George Chellah
Thu 14 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE Ministry of Health (MoH) does not have capacity to effectively manage Global Fund grants, the latest Global Fund report has revealed. The Global Fund's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) disclosed its findings in the recent country audit report of Global Fund grants to Zambia issued on October 5, 2010.
"By way of background, from 2003 through 2006, Global Fund grants to Zambia were initially channeled through the Central Board of Health until it was absorbed by the Ministry of Health in 2006. In August 2006, the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) appointed the MOH the Principal Recipient (PR), and in June, 2007, the MoH and the Global Fund formally signed a Grant Agreement.
During its tenure, the MoH accomplished some notable achievements with the government and other cooperating partners, including successful treatment of close to 90 percent of tuberculosis cases; providing ART to approximately 245,000 people; and providing at least 70 percent of households with at least one insecticidal treated bed net (ITN)," the report stated.
"Unfortunately, however, the audit exercise identified a number of major systematic problems that impacted upon the quality of health care, including inadequate human resources at the facility level and the lack of adequate funding of the District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) to execute its functions. In that regard, the requisite quota of quarterly visits to health facilities was found not to have been met.
"As a result of these deficiencies, the OIG has concluded that the Ministry of Health, as the lead in country-PR, does not have the capacity to effectively manage Global Fund grants. This conclusion is reached principally on the basis of serious shortcomings in financial management and the identification of episodes of fraud and losses of funds; misuse of grant funds; poor management of Sub Recipients (SRs) and procurement; and a significantly weak control environment that expose these entities to significant financial misappropriation risk that has materialized."
The report stated that in connection with MoH's financial management systems, the OIG identified serious weaknesses, including significant financial losses and significant financial mismanagement.
"In particular, the OIG auditors identified over ZMK20 billion (US $4,365,000) arising from unsupported costs i.e. unsupported expenditure, unretired advances, with some outstanding since 2007, unsupported procurements etc. The OIG also noted ineglible expenditure amounting to ZMK5.8 billion (US $1,659,000) arising from expenditure outside of the approved budget, overpayment of etc. In addition, instances of suspected fraud were identified," the report stated.
"In March, 2009, a whistle-blower reported a suspected fraud at the MoH involving grant funds and the Expanded Basket Fund - into which most donor health funding is channeled which triggered a forensic audit carried out by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG). In July, 2009 the OAG reported that over ZMK36 billion could not be accounted for, of which ZMK1.9 billion (US $413,000) was from Global Fund grant disbursements. As a result, a number of officials at the MoH were suspended, and a prosecution was recommended by the OAG.
"Separately, the Global Fund's OIG's Investigations Unit conducted in country investigation missions between July and September 2009 that identified instances of fraud in per diem allowances and other financial misappropriation by some senior MOH officials. Seeking to further these cases through referral to national law enforcement authorities, the OIG sought to engage with the Zambian Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), with disappointing results."
The report stated that to date, the national authorities have not taken action on these matters, nor charged individuals with violations of the relevant national criminal laws, nor sought to recover losses.
"As such, the OIG is unable to report that the Zambian national authorities have the will to conduct timely and appropriate investigations of financial fraud in the government ministries that handled Global Fund grant monies, and who are entrusted in fiduciary capacities with implementing the grants. This fact further adds to the in-country risk to grant funds in that misappropriated funds, even when identified, may not be sought to be recovered by the responsible officials and the responsible individuals prosecuted. Thus, there is little deterrent to future financial misconduct. The OIG investigation is continuing nonetheless on these matters," the report further stated.
"Similarly, the OIG audit identified significant instances of the MoH's lack of compliance with grant agreement. The OIG audit noted several instances of expenditures made outside of the work-plan; the continuation of expenditures on expired grants after the closure date; undeclared and unaccounted for income from other sources; the use by some Provincial Health Offices (PHOs) and DHMTs of Global Fund grant funds to pay VAT; and the failure of MOH to collect and remit PAYE from Global Fund paid employees working at MOH."
The report also stated that significant deficiencies were also identified in the MoH's capacity assessment and management of Sub Recipients SRs.
"The MoH did not undertake comprehensive reviews of the SRs prior to selection, and the OIG noted that several provinces and districts expended funds on activities that were not in the work plan, and that some imprest payments to staff were not retired," the report stated.
"The MoH was found not to have a system for tracking advances made to SRs, and could not identify which SRs had, and had not, accounted for funds entrusted to it. Further, in many decisions concerning disbursements, documented criteria for disbursement determinations was absent, disbursements were not supported, and many appeared to have been made in an ad hoc manner i.e. they were not made against a work plan."
The audit also identified that the MoH lacks procurement and supply management capacity (PSM).
"This deficiency was noted through the lack of purchases of health products despite the fact that the MOH had attempted numerous interventions to strengthen the PSM function," stated the report.
Labels: DONORS, GRANTS, HEALTHCARE, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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MoH workers are deceiving Rupiah - Nawakwi
By Chibaula Silwamba
Sun 10 Oct. 2010, 04:02 CAT
EDITH Nawakwi has observed that Ministry of Health civil servants are deceiving and de-campaigning President Rupiah Banda and the MMD by removing theatre equipment from UTH and installing it at newly upgraded Chawama hospital for a show-off.
Commenting on revelations that the government stripped the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) of its theatre equipment and took it to Chawama to deceive people that the Banda-administration was delivering development, thereby leaving operations at the country's largest health institution paralysed, Nawakwi said the civil servants deceived President Banda because they had studied him and knew that he could not cross-check that he was being hoodwinked because he was ever travelling abroad.
"Civil servants do not like the President, so they want to get him out of office in 2011 that is why they are engaged in this serious campaign to de-campaign him in places like Chawama. They want to deceive the President that he is working and he is so popular; he is building clinics and installing state-of-the-art equipment," said Nawakwi, the leader of the opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD).
"The President was very happy when he was commissioning Chawama hospital, he was excited, saying, 'we are working'. All these government officials are not interested in the MMD."
She said the civil servants had set up President Banda against his own people.
"If the President wants to continue thinking that those of us who are talking are insulting him and sends the likes of MMD Lusaka Province youth chairperson Chris Chalwe on us, surely he wants to be deceived," Nawakwi said.
"You can only be in a crowd where you are wanted. He wants to be in a crowd of officials who don't have any regard for politicians. To move equipment from UTH to Chawama just for a show, shows how low the MMD can sink in terms of deceiving people."
Nawakwi said instead of misleading the people of Chawama, President Banda and his officials must have been magnanimous to tell them that after the upgrading of the hospital had finished, they would buy new equipment for the hospital.
She said there was no need to inconvenience patients at UTH.
"In fact, I heard this story from some doctors. How can any normal government do this? Really! It's just like the bucket story. A government that moves equipment from one clinic to another willy-nilly! There is no seriousness," Nawakwi said.
"This government has no direction and, according to them, when we tell them that they have no direction, they get so angry, they say that those are insults."
She mocked the Banda government for always asking to be congratulated even when things went wrong.
"When there are potholes on the road they want us to say, 'they are working.' When they move equipment from UTH to Chawama, please congratulate them, they are working. I want to thank the civil servants who are so clever in their de-campaigning of the MMD, please keep it up. The civil service should be congratulated for joining the campaign of getting the MMD out of government," Nawakwi said mockingly.
She said President Banda must know that the civil servants were de-campaigning him because when UTH gets its equipment from Chawama hospital, people of Chawama would be very upset with him and his government.
"He is being hoodwinked because they know that he doesn't even go to UTH to see the situation there because he is too busy with trips abroad. The civil servants have studied President Banda, he doesn't have time go to UTH," Nawakwi observed.
"I don't know what my brother at information minister of information and broadcasting services Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha has to say about this. We are all in it as politicians, honestly if they can cheat the head of state at that level, what about those at lower level? I expect my brother the right reverend Ronnie Shikapwasha to advise the President accordingly, that this is an act of sabotage aimed at getting the MMD out of government.”
Nawakwi challenged the President to visit UTH and see the situation for himself.
But health minister Kapembwa Simbao has claimed that UTH had excess equipment, hence the decision to take the other equipment to the newly upgraded Chawama and Kanyama hospitals.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, RUPIAH BANDA
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Simbao is a responsible person serving in an irresponsible govt - Syakalima
By Ernest Chanda and Moses Kuwema
Sun 04 July 2010, 04:01 CAT
SIAVONGA UPND member of parliament Douglas Syakalima has observed that health minister Kapembwa Simbao is a responsible person serving in an irresponsible government.
Commenting on Simbao’s appeal for donor aid last Wednesday despite President Rupiah Banda and Vice-President George Kunda telling donors off, Syakalima urged Simbao to ensure accountability for the same money when it is given.
“In my view, Simbao is being a responsible Zambian because the entire government is not responsible. This is a government where the top two President and his Vice have cast aspersions on donors. I just want to request my colleague Simbao that he should also assure donors that their money will be accounted for. That money comes from people who pay tax and should not be abused by anyone. Simbao is a responsible person serving in an irresponsible government,” said Syakalima.
And Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has said Zambians should hold the government accountable for any deaths that will occur as a result of failure to carry out the measles vaccination exercise.
SACCORD information officer Obby Chibuluma also advised President Rupiah Banda to swallow his pride and openly apologise to the nation and the donor community.
“President Banda should openly apologise to Zambians and the donor community over his statement that no one asked the donors to come to Zambia. This statement shows that the government does not care about the majority of Zambians who are suffering,” Chibuluma said.
Chibuluma said the government was not interested in accountability and would go to any length to stifle anyone who called for accountability.
“It does not pay to be arrogant, you can’t continue with that kind of arrogance. The President should just swallow his pride and apologise. We also want to know what he discussed with the donors so that the continued barking at the donors should come to an end,” said Chibuluma.
Briefing the press and donors at Lusaka’s Hotel Intercontinental, Simbao appealed for urgent donor aid to enable his ministry carry out a measles vaccination exercise countrywide.
“So far, as of the 24th of June, we've recorded 2,832 cases of measles. We have recorded 66 deaths countrywide. This is very serious because the last time we recorded any deaths due to measles was in 2003,” Simbao said. “…I want to appeal here that if we don't take immediate measures like today we are likely to lose a lot of lives.”
Simbao’s appeal for aid came barely a week after President Rupiah Banda upon arrival from Namibia castigated donors that Zambia did not need them.
Labels: DONORS, DOUGLAS SYAKALIMA, KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, MEASLES, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, OBBY CHIBULUMA
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Global Fund re-confirms freezing aid to MoH
By Moses Kuwema and Florence Bupe
Fri 18 June 2010, 04:01 CAT
THE Global Fund has re-confirmed freezing on cash disbursements to the Ministry of Health (MoH). According to a statement released on Wednesday, the Global Fund decided to clarify its actions as recent media reports had caused confusion about the state of its funding to Zambia.
The Global Fund stated that it stopped disbursing money for grants to the Ministry of Health since August last year after it found evidence of expenditures that could not be accounted for.
“However, around US$17 million of a total of US$137 million in affected funds originally meant for the Ministry of Health has been disbursed through other channels to ensure that there is no disruption of lifesaving services. An additional US$180 million in Global Fund grants implemented by civil society organisations in Zambia are unaffected by this freeze,” the statement read.
The Fund stated that United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would take over the management of the grants originally provided to the Ministry of Health and full grant activities were expected to resume within the next two months.
The Fund stated that the freeze in disbursement came after Zambian authorities last year uncovered fraud within its health ministry.
“Further investigations by the Global Fund showed that the Ministry of Health was not able to safely manage grants. The organisation has demanded the return of US$8 million in unspent funds from the Ministry of Health,” read the statement.
The Fund also demanded that Zambia takes action against individuals found to be involved in the unaccounted for expenditures that led to the freezing of grant disbursements.
But Ministry of Health spokesperson Dr Reuben Mbewe on Wednesday said the Global Fund delayed the disbursements of all grants to pave way for the Global Fund audit.
Dr Mbewe said during this period Global Fund allowed Ministry of Health to continue procuring drugs such as anti-malarials, ARVs and TB drugs.
“After the completion of the investigations Global Fund is working with Ministry of Health together with UNDP to build capacity of the ministry especially in procurement and finance as per agreed joint governance action plan. The ministry with Global Fund and UNDP are working on modalities through which Ministry of Health will start accessing funds through UNDP,” Dr Mbewe said. “After two years, Ministry of Health will start accessing the funding directly. Instead of being principle recipients, we have now become sub-recipients. The round four grants for malaria and HIV which were due to expire in October have been extended for one year to make up for the delay in disbursement.”
Dr Mbewe said Ministry of Health had been invited to apply for the Global Fund round 10 funding because they still had confidence in Zambia.
“And because they know that we are working on strengthening the procurement and financial systems. What I have explained is in relation to last year’s alleged embezzlement which is before the courts of law,” said Dr Mbewe. “It has nothing to do with new developments within the last year as mentioned in one of the dailies that there is strong evidence of continued fraudulent activities.”
The Global Fund suspended disbursements to Zambia’s Ministry of Health because of strong evidence of continued fraudulent activities.
The decision was made at its 21st board meeting in Geneva held between April 28 and 30, 2010. The Global Fund stated that it would not proceed with signing any new grants with the Ministry of Health until it was satisfied that the situation was under control and adequate measures were in place to allow for a return-to-normal arrangements.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DONORS, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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Suspension of aid to MoH awakening call – NGOCC
By Bivan Saluseki
Thu 17 June 2010, 08:40 CAT
THE NGOCC yesterday said the suspension of grants to the Ministry of Health by the Global Fund is an awakening call for the government to take accountability and transparency matters seriously.
NGOCC executive director Engwase Mwale said from Kaoma that it was worrying that apart from a few officials from the Ministry of Health appearing in court, Zambians were yet to see serious mitigating measures put in place and most importantly, overhauling the whole ministry.
She said such measures applied to all other government ministries in the way funds were accounted for. Mwale said the NGOCC had in the past been calling on the Ministry of Health to engage citizens on issues of fraud and especially on what measures needed to be put in place.
She said the Auditor General had highlighted several cases of abuse of public funds in her report but the government was yet to give it serious attention.
Mwale said NGOCC had expected the government to seriously pursue those found wanting. She said it was, however, gratifying that the Global Fund had resolved to continue with life-saving drugs. Mwale said such a decision would go a long way in addressing the plight of women in form of life care.
The Global Fund suspended disbursements to Zambia’s Ministry of Health because of strong evidence of continued fraudulent activities. The decision was made at its 21st board meeting in Geneva held between April 28 and 30, 2010.
The Global Fund stated that it would not proceed with signing any new grants with the Ministry of Health until it was satisfied that the situation was under control and adequate measures were in place to allow for a return to normal arrangements.
Furthermore, any activity and spending linked to the grants under the management of the Ministry of Health – such as funds for the continuation of treatment – have to be verified and recommended by the local fund agent (LFA) and approved by the Global Fund secretariat.
The Fund stated that arrangements were being made to transfer management of the grants to the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).
The Global Fund's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has concluded that there was fraud in connection with one or more of the grants.
However, disbursements are being allowed for life-saving interventions drugs and other directly related costs, but they are being made directly to procurement agents or suppliers, and not to the Ministry of Health.
Labels: CORRUPTION, ENGWASE MWALE, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, NGOCC
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Stealing from the sick is the worst form of corruption
By Editor
Wed 16 June 2010, 04:00 CAT
The affairs of our country are being managed by very cruel and selfish people.
We used to read about Robin Hood the robber who used to steal from the rich and give to the poor. But today in this country, we have another type of Robin Hoods, that which steals from the poor to enrich itself. Our Robin Hoods don’t even choose what to steal – they steal anything and everything. These are Robin Hoods who steal from the sick, from those who are ill and need medical treatment. They steal money meant for drugs – life-saving drugs. They don’t care about whether their people live or die. All they care about is the fatness or depth of their pockets. That’s all they are concerned about.
What type of people are these? What type of criminals are these? These are the people going around calling themselves civil or public servants, political leaders! What type of civil or public servants are these? What type of political leaders are these? You can’t be a public servant or political leader without compassion, without kindness towards the people you are supposed to be serving. These don’t serve anyone else other than themselves.
One cannot claim to uphold the sanctity of life if he goes to steal the very limited financial resources given to our sick people by well-wishers from abroad so that minimal healthcare can be provided for all. Stealing money meant for life-saving drugs is tantamount to killing people. One cannot claim to value life if he steals money that was meant for drugs. Life is sacred, a gift from God to be valued from the moment of conception until death. There is need for all of us to reach out, in compassion and solidarity, to all sick citizens of our country.
Stealing money meant for healthcare should rank among the worst crimes a person can commit. Healthcare is really an imitation of Jesus who saw healing the sick as central to his ministry of establishing the Kingdom of God. We may not be able to cure miraculously our sisters and brothers around us but we can share the charity of loving care and tender hands by promoting the justice of good health policies and adequate medicines. We are told in Matthew 14:14: “He Jesus saw a large crowd and he took pity on them and healed their sick.” But our civil or public servants, or political leaders, instead of feeling pity and helping to heal our sick through the provision of good healthcare, are stealing money meant for the provision of minimal healthcare for our people, they are robbing the sick of the drugs donated to them by more humane societies and individuals. Again, we ask: what type of civil or public servants are these; what type of political leaders are these?
Kenneth Kaunda and his comrades, the founders of our Republic, taught us a type of civil or public service and political leadership based on morality, based on love for our fellow citizens. Let us try in a new time and in a new way to restore this concept of civil or public service, of political leadership. Let us teach ourselves and others that public office, whether civil or political, should be an expression of a desire to contribute to the happiness of the community rather than of a need to cheat or rape the community.
There has been a lot of goodwill from the international community to help us improve our healthcare. We have been given a lot of money for medicines and infrastructure development. But what have we done? We have stolen and squandered this money that was given for the noblest of causes. Let us not allow the sympathies of the world which we have won so fast to be equally rapidly lost through our dishonesty, corruption, wastefulness and lack of care for the well-being of each other. Let us not allow the desire to serve oneself to bloom and continue to dominate our affairs under the fair mask of the desire to serve the common good. We can’t continue to ignore each other and to care only about ourselves.
We are saying all this because of what has been happening at the Ministry of Health. Today, most of the donors have suspended very valuable aid to this ministry because of corruption. We know that there have been serious problems in the way Swedish aid to our Ministry of Health has been used. Today, this aid is suspended and the director general of SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency) has lost his job as a consequence of corruption in Zambia.
The Global Fund has also suspended disbursements to our Ministry of Health because of strong evidence of continued fraudulent activities and they will not proceed with signing any new grants with our government until they are satisfied that the situation is under control and adequate measures are in place to safeguard their aid.
We also know that there are problems with donor funding in our road sector. Again, donor funding to this sector is frozen because of corruption.
One doesn’t require a microscope to see that there is something wrong in the way public affairs and public resources are being managed. All that one needs to look at is the way civil or public servants live. These are people with relatively low salaries, but look at what they own! They are the owners of the biggest and best farms in the country; they are the owners of mansions and blocks of flats. In a word, they are the most affluent people in the country.
This also applies to some of our political leaders in government and their families and associates. How can one explain how some people have become so rich in less than two years of Rupiah Banda becoming President when before that, they were hosts to bailiffs every week? Here, we are talking about Rupiah and his sons and their associates. Is it not public office that is making them rich, that has taken away their financial problems? It is not the salary of Rupiah that has cleared away their financial problems because the president’s salary in this country is relatively very low. But look at what they have acquired in this short period in relation to Rupiah’s earned income! This is a prima facie case of corruption.
The conviction of all top civil and public servants at the Ministry of Finance under Frederick Chiluba’s regime, including his Minister of Finance, tells a big story of how the resources of our country are being managed.
As for the Ministry of Health, corruption is continuing unabated. This is the ministry the politicians in government use during elections. In 2001, this was the ministry Chiluba used to finance Levy Mwanawasa and his election campaign.
At that time, Kashiwa Bulaya, who is today serving a prison sentence for corruption at Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital instead of Lusaka Central Prison was the permanent secretary. This is the man who Levy, George Kunda and Director of Public Prosecutions Chalwe Mchenga had corruptly extended a nolle prosequi to.
In the 2008 presidential elections, we carried stories and pictures showing how Ministry of Health resources and automobiles were being used in Rupiah’s campaign. And to this very day, Ministry of Health resources are still being used in parliamentary by-elections by those in government. A thorough investigation will reveal that motor vehicles and fuel from the Ministry of Health found their way to the MMD campaign in Mufumbwe and Milanzi.
These are resources that are supposed to be channelled to our fellow citizens who are sick, who are dying. But instead of trying to save their lives or improve their well-being, resources provided by donors and the Zambian taxpayer are abused in this criminal way. This is the worst form of cruelty and selfishness. And can anyone blame the international community and donors for withholding funding to our government? The answer is a categorical no. Our government does not qualify to handle other people’s money, money from taxpayers of other nations until we put our house in order. It’s immoral to receive money from taxpayers of other countries just for it to come and be stolen by our civil or public servants, our politicians and their associates, the tenderpreneurs.
If we manage to administer donor funding in a more honest, efficient, effective and orderly manner, we will also be able to do the same with the money coming from our own taxpayers. And this will improve the prospects for bettering the lives of our poor people. Let us co-operate with all the donors who have withheld funding to our government and work with them to improve the way we manage the resources made available to our government and our people. Thrift should be the guiding principle in government financial dealings. It should be made clear to all government workers and to all our politicians in government that corruption and waste are very great crimes.
Labels: CORRUPTION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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Global Fund suspends funding to health ministry citing evident fraud
By Bivan Saluseki
Wed 16 June 2010, 07:04 CAT
ZAMBIA’s efforts in fighting against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria may be under threat following the decision by the Global Fund to suspend funding to the health ministry citing strong evidence of fraudulent activities.
The decision was made at its 21st Board Meeting in Geneva held between April 28 and 30, 2010.
The Global Fund has stated that it will not proceed with signing any new grants with the Ministry of Health until it is satisfied that the situation is under control and that adequate measures are in place to allow for a return to normal arrangements.
Furthermore, any activity and spending linked to the grants under the management of the Ministry of Health – such as funds for the continuation of treatment – have to be verified and recommended by the local fund agent (LFA) and approved by the Global Fund secretariat.
The Fund has stated that arrangements are being made to transfer management of the grants to the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).
The Ministry of Health has been the principal recipient (PR) for several grants.
The Global Fund's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has concluded that there was fraud in connection with one or more of the grants.
However, disbursements are being allowed for life-saving interventions (drugs and other directly related costs), but these disbursements are being made directly to procurement agents or suppliers, not to the Ministry of Health.
According to the Fund, arrangements are now being made to transfer the Ministry of Health grants to a new PR, the UNDP, on an interim basis.
The report stated that the OIG conducted investigation missions to Zambia in July and September 2009 in order to initially gain a fuller understanding of allegations of theft the Ministry of Health and a clearer indication of the level of risk to grant funds.
The OIG had sought to engage with the national authorities (Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) and police in relation to the scope of their investigations and possible expert assistance from the Global Fund and other funding partners.
The Fund stated that the response received was very disappointing.
“The national authorities have failed thus far to provide assurances of appropriate action regarding fraud against Global Fund grant programs. In October 2009, during the audit of all grants within Zambia, the OIG audit team uncovered further evidence of fraud and other irregularities within the Global Fund grant programs in the MoH, in particular multiple apparently fraudulent allowance claims by senior members of the MoH staff. An OIG investigation team was deployed to the country and, in November 2009, referred comprehensive evidence to the Zambian ACC,” stated the Fund.
“The OIG remains in the dark regarding the scope of any investigations being conducted by the ACC or police, which stem from the original whistleblower allegations. Neither does it have information about whether the investigations extend beyond those persons originally named as suspects. Similarly, despite numerous requests, the OIG has not received any feedback on the clear evidence of fraud against the Global Fund that was formally referred in November 2009 for criminal investigation.”
In both cases, the OIG is unable to report with any confidence on the capacity, will or efforts of the national authorities in conducting timely and appropriate investigations.
“The OIG is therefore unable to provide assurance as to the safety of investing further funds through the Ministry of Health while the issues surrounding the investigations by national authorities remain unresolved,” it stated.
According to the report, in May 2009, as a result of a whistleblower allegation, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an investigation into fraudulent practices within the Ministry of Health.
Most of the reported fraud related to funds that were part of the expanded health basket in Zambia, in which the Global Fund does not participate.
However, the investigation also included one fraudulent transaction relating to a Global Fund grant. The ACC searched the offices of the Ministry of Health, resulting in the suspension of 30 staff members.
The report stated that the ACC requested assistance from the OIG to strengthen its capacity to undertake a potentially large-scale investigation.
In light of this, the OIG contacted a number of other agencies to make arrangements for a series of joint capacity assistance missions to Zambia.
(Similar assistance missions have been conducted in Uganda with, according to the OIG, very positive results.)
Labels: CORRUPTION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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Global Fund suspends funding to health ministry citing evidence of fraud
By Bivan Saluseki
Tue 15 June 2010, 12:40 CAT
ZAMBIA’s efforts in fighting against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria may be under threat following the decision by the Global Fund to suspend funding to the health ministry citing strong evidence of fraudulent activities. The decision was made at its 21st Board Meeting in Geneva held between April 28 and 30, 2010.
The Global Fund has stated that it will not proceed with signing any new grants with the Ministry of Health until it is satisfied that the situation is under control and that adequate measures are in place to allow for a return to normal arrangements.
Furthermore, any activity and spending linked to the grants under the management of the Ministry of Health – such as funds for the continuation of treatment – have to be verified and recommended by the local fund agent (LFA) and approved by the Global Fund secretariat.
The Fund has stated that arrangements are being made to transfer management of the grants to the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP). The Ministry of Health has been the principal recipient (PR) for several grants. The Global Fund's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has concluded that there was fraud in connection with one or more of the grants.
However, disbursements are being allowed for life-saving interventions (drugs and other directly related costs), but these disbursements are being made directly to procurement agents or suppliers, not to the Ministry of Health.
According to the Fund, arrangements are now being made to transfer the Ministry of Health grants to a new PR, the UNDP, on an interim basis.
The report stated that the OIG conducted investigation missions to Zambia in July and September 2009 in order to initially gain a fuller understanding of allegations of theft the Ministry of Health and a clearer indication of the level of risk to grant funds.
The OIG had sought to engage with the national authorities (Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) and police in relation to the scope of their investigations and possible expert assistance from the Global Fund and other funding partners.
The Fund stated that the response received was very disappointing.
“The national authorities have failed thus far to provide assurances of appropriate action regarding fraud against Global Fund grant programs. In October 2009, during the audit of all grants within Zambia, the OIG audit team uncovered further evidence of fraud and other irregularities within the Global Fund grant programs in the MoH, in particular multiple apparently fraudulent allowance claims by senior members of the MoH staff. An OIG investigation team was deployed to the country and, in November 2009, referred comprehensive evidence to the Zambian ACC,” stated the Fund.
“The OIG remains in the dark regarding the scope of any investigations being conducted by the ACC or police, which stem from the original whistleblower allegations. Neither does it have information about whether the investigations extend beyond those persons originally named as suspects. Similarly, despite numerous requests, the OIG has not received any feedback on the clear evidence of fraud against the Global Fund that was formally referred in November 2009 for criminal investigation.”
In both cases, the OIG is unable to report with any confidence on the capacity, will or efforts of the national authorities in conducting timely and appropriate investigations.
“The OIG is therefore unable to provide assurance as to the safety of investing further funds through the Ministry of Health while the issues surrounding the investigations by national authorities remain unresolved,” it stated.
According to the report, in May 2009, as a result of a whistleblower allegation, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an investigation into fraudulent practices within the Ministry of Health.
Most of the reported fraud related to funds that were part of the expanded health basket in Zambia, in which the Global Fund does not participate.
However, the investigation also included one fraudulent transaction relating to a Global Fund grant. The ACC searched the offices of the Ministry of Health, resulting in the suspension of 30 staff members.
The report stated that the ACC requested assistance from the OIG to strengthen its capacity to undertake a potentially large-scale investigation.
In light of this, the OIG contacted a number of other agencies to make arrangements for a series of joint capacity assistance missions to Zambia.
(Similar assistance missions have been conducted in Uganda with, according to the OIG, very positive results.)
Labels: CORRUPTION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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Court hears how Dr Miti signed Kahekam contract
By Namatama Mundia
Thu 10 June 2010, 04:01 CAT
FORMER Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr Simon Miti on Tuesday told the court that he was misled into signing the Kahekam contract for the extra 50,000 mother-baby-kits by the head of procurement at the ministry, Abel Katongo
This is in a matter before Lusaka magistrate Kenneth Mulife where former human resources manager Henry Kapoko and eight others are facing theft charges relating to a contract awarded to Kahekam Limited for the supply of mother-baby-kits to the Ministry of Health.
Testifying in the matter after the state prosecutor asked why he signed the contract when there were a lot of anomalies, Dr Miti said he was misled into signing the contract by then contract manager Katongo, one of the accused persons.
Dr Miti recollected that the ministerial tender committee (MTC) meeting was held on January 21, 2009 and not September as earlier said on Monday.
He said the tender committee meeting was initially chaired by then permanent secretary Dr Velepi Mtonga.
Dr Miti said he did not attend the meeting but upon return from official duty as a presidential doctor to late president Levy Mwanawasa, he was briefed in his capacity as the substantive permanent secretary.
“What actually happens when somebody was acting, upon my return, that person will give me hand over notes that would also be discussed in the ministerial meeting. I would also be informed during the ministerial meetings, which were held every Mondays and Wednesday. We used to hold MTC meetings during which I would also be informed,” Dr Miti explained.
“Yes, I would like to state to this court when I endorsed the contract on 23rd January, 2009, it was on the same day in the evening when there was an announcement from State House that I was transferred from Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training and that is how I could not have been briefed.”
He said the letter from Melcome Limited dated January 22, 2009 was critical because it influenced the decision in the MTC and was addressed to the health ministry permanent secretary at Ndeke House.
He said the letter informed his office that Kahekam had been awarded the contract to deliver mother-baby-kits within six to eight weeks. Dr Miti told the court that the letter from Kahekam was never received by his office and therefore not acted upon.
“If it had been received by the office of the PS, it would have had a date stamp stamped on the document with clear instructions as to how the office of the PS would have been viewed this letter and the office of the PS would have assessed the contents of the letter and would have referred it to competent authority within the ministry,” he said.
Dr Miti said he was not aware of a letter from Melcome, which was shown to him at ACC, a response to a letter from health ministry on a proposal to supply an extra 50,000 kits.
“…All letters which are going out are supposed to go through the PS so I was wondering as to what Melcome was responding to. The other discrepancy is when I requested to be shown the evaluation report in which the extra 50,000 kits was discussed and analysed for the MTC to make that decision to offer Kahekam the 50,000 kits…there was no evaluation report in relation to the extra 50,000 kits,” he said.
Dr Miti said in the absence of an evaluation report, there was no way according to the procedure that Kahekam could have been awarded the contract to supply the extra 50,000 kits.
Labels: CORRUPTION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, SIMON MITI
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Sata warns Rupiah against politicising MoH
By George Chellah
Wed 21 Apr. 2010, 03:59 CAT
RUPIAH has always been a failure when it comes to running government, Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has said. Reacting to President Banda’s statement that the country has sufficient stocks of drugs, Sata challenged President Banda to prove his claims on the drug situation in the health sector.
“Where are the drugs he is talking about? Can he tell us which hospitals or rural health centres have these sufficient stocks of drugs,” Sata said. “Rupiah is just making wild claims because his administration has lamentably failed to run the health sector.
Tell them that they can bluff on other issues but not on anything concerning the Ministry of Health because I know the Ministry of Health like no man’s business. So let him not give us stories about his imaginary sufficient stocks of drugs in the country. I challenge Rupiah to disclose the quantities of the so-called sufficient drugs in all the hospitals and clinics countrywide. Let the nation know which hospital or clinic has what in terms of drugs.”
Sata warned President Banda against politicising the Ministry of Health.
“It is clear that power has not only gone to Rupiah’s head but it has also spread to his toes. Power has now even engulfed his toes. That’s why he appointed cadres such as Jazzman Chikwakwa, Stephen Bwalya and Mwalimu Simfukwe to the level of permanent secretary in Luapula, Lusaka and Nothern provinces, respectively,” Sata said.
“But Rupiah must not mislead the young man Dr Peter Mwaba newly appointed Ministry of Health permanent secretary because Mwaba is a professional who is running a professional ministry. The Ministry of Health is a professional ministry, it’s not a ministry of cadres.
“If they infiltrate that ministry with cadres, we will go back to the olden days where doctors, nurses and other professionals were fleeing the country.”
Sata said President Banda has infiltrated the civil service with MMD cadres.
“Rupiah thought these cadre permanent secretaries like Chikwakwa and Bwalya will be too powerful and will eventually neutralise PF in the provinces or elsewhere,” Sata said. “But they have lamentably failed. Anyway, what do you expect because that’s Rupiah for you, he is a failure and has always been a failure when it comes to running government.”
On Tuesday, President Banda said there are plenty of drugs in Zambia.
Speaking after he swore-in Ministry of Health new permanent secretary Dr Peter Mwaba at State House, President Banda said there were media reports about the shortage of drugs in health centres but verification checks revealed that there were enough drugs. He attributed the shortage of drugs in some health centres to communication problems between various health centres and Medical Stores.
He said the problem in the supply of drugs was administrative.
President Banda said Medical Stores had problems delivering the drugs. He urged Dr Mwaba to ensure that drugs were available in all health institutions countrywide.
Labels: MINISTRY OF HEALTH, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA
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