On the grounds of probity and accountability, a section of the public is demanding investigations into the suspected procurement irregularities and poor surgical outcome related to the high-profile surgical separation of the conjoined (Siamese) twins done at the Ridge Hospital in Accra over two years ago.
It is factual that private donations and state funds were used for the surgery, which garnered national and international attention.
However, alleged information indicate that majority of the funds mobilized for the surgery were not directly handed over to the Ridge Hospital administration but were wrongly held at the
Ministry of Health (MOH) and not the Ghana Health Service to procure medical equipment and consumables needed for the procedure.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) was also said to have been sidelined whilst the dealings were directly with the MOH, which is administratively incorrect.
The said requests from Ridge Hospital, according to information, were also allegedly not raised through the administration but a certain secretariat and not routed through the regional health directorate to the GHS headquarters en- route to the Ministry of Health. Why this administrative by-pass or sideline?
The processes have to be questioned over the transparency and accountability in the administrative and procurement processes.
According to sources from “within and outside” there are a lot of questionable issues related to this surgery and the outcomes. Even though these questions demand answers, these answers should be questioned and investigated thoroughly.
With regards to suspected procurement breaches, allegations suggest that some equipment and consumables may have been procured without adherence to due procurement processes, as required by the Public Procurement Act
There are suspicions that certain medical items were purchased at inflated market prices, with alleged incomplete documentation.
The question many are asking is that, were there any service level agreements for these equipments, who are the signatories?
With these documentation gaps, questions being asked has to do with whether there were any agreements(s) signed to which per diem to the equivalent of $10,098.00( dollars) was paid, are the medical and dental council accreditation for such persons available for verification.
Considering the outcome are the two kids are alive? as information gathered indicate that one of the twins is dead whilst the other is not doing too well.
These developments have led to calls from civil society, health sector stakeholders, and transparency advocates for the involvement of state investigative bodies, including the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), National Security, BNI ,Parliamentary Sub committee on Health, and the Internal Audit Agency into this serious matter