Health Ministry overspends by N$ 26 million

The Ministry of Health and Social Services has overspent by N$26 million according to the Auditor General’s report presented in Parliament during its final session.

In the report for the financial year ending March 2006, Auditor General Junias Kandjeke criticised the Health Ministry for overspending the N$26 million. He said although the Ministry received budget approval from Treasury for the excess, the overspending was still against the State Finance Act.Nearly N$1 million dollars had not been recovered for official trips, while a lack of controls at hospital pharmacies and patients missing out on supper were also noted in the Auditor General’s report.The Ministry had N$904 936 outstanding from staff for 426 trips, where advances were paid out beforehand.An internal audit investigation conducted at the Khomas regional and primary health care directorates revealed that procurements valued at N$44 472,42 were made with forged signatures and the same was done for general expenses amounting to N$26 427,40.”The case was reported to the Police on September 26, 2005, but to date the Ministry did not make any effort to finalise the issues,” according to the audit report, completed in September this year.It was also discovered that Government vehicles in the Kavango Region were filled with fuel beyond their tank capacity.Official fuel cards were used to fill up although authorisation reports showed that the vehicles in question were not driven during those times.The same was also discovered at Grootfontein health district were vehicles were filled up more than once per day and with more fuel than their tank could hold, while the kilometre readings remained constant.The Auditor General also found that physical stock taking at pharmacies could not be done because the stock cards were not updated.In the Oshana Region they noticed that catering was often done not properly.”The auditors found that medical staff on night duty, staff going into the field for outreach and patients transferred from one hospital to other hospitals were not provided with supper as stipulated in the catering contract.It was also observed that juice was substituted with a traditional drink – oshikundu – which is not in the contract.”He said although the Ministry received budget approval from Treasury for the excess, the overspending was still against the State Finance Act.Nearly N$1 million dollars had not been recovered for official trips, while a lack of controls at hospital pharmacies and patients missing out on supper were also noted in the Auditor General’s report.The Ministry had N$904 936 outstanding from staff for 426 trips, where advances were paid out beforehand.An internal audit investigation conducted at the Khomas regional and primary health care directorates revealed that procurements valued at N$44 472,42 were made with forged signatures and the same was done for general expenses amounting to N$26 427,40.”The case was reported to the Police on September 26, 2005, but to date the Ministry did not make any effort to finalise the issues,” according to the audit report, completed in September this year.It was also discovered that Government vehicles in the Kavango Region were filled with fuel beyond their tank capacity.Official fuel cards were used to fill up although authorisation reports showed that the vehicles in question were not driven during those times.The same was also discovered at Grootfontein health district were vehicles were filled up more than once per day and with more fuel than their tank could hold, while the kilometre readings remained constant.The Auditor General also found that physical stock taking at pharmacies could not be done because the stock cards were not updated.In the Oshana Region they noticed that catering was often done not properly.”The auditors found that medical staff on night duty, staff going into the field for outreach and patients transferred from one hospital to other hospitals were not provided with supper as stipulated in the catering contract.It was also observed that juice was substituted with a traditional drink – oshikundu – which is not in the contract.”