A startling revelation unfolded at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) when management of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) came under intense scrutiny after it emerged that a deceased staff member had been validated and paid for 26 consecutive months. The shocking detail sparked outrage among committee members, one of whom sarcastically asked hospital authorities, “Didn’t you go to his funeral?”
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According to the auditors’ report under review, the hospital continued to process and release monthly salaries long after the employee had passed away. The development highlights glaring loopholes in Ghana’s public payroll system, often plagued by “ghost names” and weak validation processes. For many observers, the revelation reinforces the long-standing perception of negligence and inefficiency in state institutions.
Members of the committee pressed the hospital’s management for answers, demanding to know how an institution of such repute could overlook a death that was widely known in the community. The line of questioning pointed to either gross administrative incompetence or possible collusion designed to siphon funds from the state purse.
Management, visibly uncomfortable under the spotlight, admitted lapses in monitoring and communication between the human resources department and payroll managers. However, they attempted to downplay the scandal by attributing the anomaly to bureaucratic delays and breakdowns in reporting mechanisms.
The PAC, unimpressed by the explanations, insisted on immediate accountability, including recovery of the lost funds and the identification of individuals responsible for the negligence. Members stressed that such incidents not only drain scarce public resources but also undermine public confidence in the health and financial management systems.
Civil society organizations have since joined the chorus of criticism, calling for urgent reforms in payroll management across public institutions. Many argue that the scandal underscores the urgent need for digitized systems that can flag deaths in real time, eliminating the loopholes that allow ghost salaries to persist.
For the ordinary Ghanaian, the episode at the PAC is yet another reminder of how systemic inefficiencies erode the nation’s finances. The biting question “Didn’t you go to his funeral?” now lingers as a symbol of the absurdity and carelessness that continue to plague parts of the public sector.
Source: OperaNews
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