General News of Thursday, 23 November 2017
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2017-11-23
Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu
Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu says investigations into the fire that tore through the country’s biggest drug storage facility have been completed, two years after the incident.
He said the report has been submitted to Auditor-General, Daniel Domelovo for a forensic audit to be conducted into the findings.
“In the report that I saw, it is put that there should be a forensic audit and without it, I don’t think much will be done,” he told journalists at a news conference in Accra Thursday.
Ghana lost an estimated $80 million worth of drugs and medical equipment when fire destroyed the Central Medical Store located at Tema in 2015.
An interim probe by the past administration established “arson” to be the cause of the fire.
A labourer at the facility, Samuel Dogbe was named as the suspected arsonist allegedly paid to set the fire in the store.
At least 12 officials of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) were interdicted in connection with the incident last two years, but no one has been prosecuted. There have been calls for the government to start prosecution after a report by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) corroborated the earlier claim of arson.
But the Health Minister said the government can only act if the forensic audit yet-to-be conducted by the Auditor-General is completed.
“He is finalising processes to conduct a forensic audit of the report and when that is completed he will advise and make recommendations,” Mr Agyeman Manu said of the Auditor-General. He also revealed the government is “sourcing funds” for the construction of the facility.
