In a shocking revelation that has sent ripples through the nation, a detailed report has emerged accusing key figures at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (GARH) also known as Ridge Hospital of gross mismanagement, corruption, and procurement breaches.
The report intercepted by ModernGhana News, which comes from a private investigative body, sheds light on what appears to be a well-coordinated scheme involving hospital officials, past government appointees, and figures at the Ghana Health Service (GHS) headquarters.
According to the report, millions of cedis have been siphoned through fraudulent contracts, depriving the hospital of much-needed resources and compromising patient care.
At the heart of these allegations is the current Medical Director of GARH, Rev. Dr. Ralph Armah, who is accused of complicity in approving dubious deals that have allegedly led to a severe loss in hospital revenue. The report claims that these individuals, through a network of illicit agreements, allegedly diverted funds meant for hospital operations and instead funneled them into the hands of private companies, some of which seem to have been created specifically to exploit the system.
The Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
Agreement with REFUAH LTD
One of the most controversial deals involves the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement between GARH and a company called Refuah Ltd. In 2023, when the hospital’s imaging equipment malfunctioned, the management chose to outsource the entire department to Refuah Ltd, a company that had been incorporated just months before securing the contract. Investigations at the Registrar General’s Department also revealed that Refuah Ltd with registration number CS017150223, was incorporated in February 2023, only four months before securing the contract. This means the Company was incorporated because of this contract. Even before they incorporated the Company, there is copious evidence to suggest unequivocally that they had already started the discussions on the contract.
The investigation also revealed that Refuah Ltd, which specializes in hospital equipment sales, had no prior experience in medical imaging.
Despite this, they were awarded a contract worth millions of cedis on 9th June 2023, with GARH reportedly paying 80% of the revenue from the imaging department to the company.
The company was responsible for installing and maintaining new machines including Ultrasound machine, X-Ray machine and Fluoroscopy among others. This was however not the case, leaving the hospital staff to operate and maintain the machines yet GHS and, for that matter, the Medical Director continue to pay them 80% of the revenue accrued from these machines.
So far GARH has under the leadership of Rev.
Dr. Ralph Armah paid a whopping sum of Ghc 5million for the little work done. The continued payment of these monies by the Medical Director is a testimony of his complicity for condoning wrong and fraud. Sadly, even though the machines broke down, the Medical Director kept paying them.
Contract with Riverwoods Medical
Equipment and Dialysis Company Ltd
The shady dealings don’t stop there. The report reveals several other questionable contracts, including one with Riverwoods Medical Equipment and Dialysis Company Ltd on 20th March 2019 with registration number BN001632017, which allegedly lied about its credentials and misrepresented itself to secure a government contract.
Despite lacking expertise or certification in dialysis operations, this company secured a contract under false pretences. The Company lied on the contract document that it was registered as a limited Liability Company when in fact, a review of the company’s records indicates it was registered as a sole proprietorship, further casting doubt on its legitimacy. Again, the company does not have any known office or Landmark indicating where it operates from.
Contract with Safe Africa Security Services
Ltd
Another dubious contract was awarded to Safe Africa Security Services Ltd in 2017 with registration number CS039412017 without following due procurement processes, despite the hospital already having an effective in-house security team. The company was paid significant sums, yet failed to provide the agreed number of security personnel. In total, these dubious deals have cost GARH millions of cedis. The report further alleges that under the agreement the company is required to provide seventy (70) security guards but clear checks indicated there are not more than 10 security guards around the new structure. The report reveals that GARH pays this Company a whopping Ghc2,000 for each security guard totalling a whopping Ghc 140,000 monthly. Safe Africa however pays it security guards Ghc500 each from the Ghc2,000 it get from its contractors. This means the state or GARH is being robbed of a colossal Ghc 120,000 each month till date.
Contract with Ash Town Cleaning Services
The investigative document revealed that Ash Town Cleaning Services was contracted to provide cleaning services under highly questionable circumstances. Investigations revealed that this company is not registered with the Registrar of Companies and does not meet statutory tax obligations or SSNIT obligations. Additionally, the contract’s financial details remain undisclosed, raising concerns about potential corruption. Again, the laws are clear on contract sum thresholds for entity heads; otherwise, the PPA procurement process must be referred, yet that was not the case in this internal agreement with Ash Town Cleaning Services and others.
Financial malpractice in the Billing Department
The report further uncovered significant financial irregularities in the Billing Department, allegedly led by Mr. Giscard Opoku Ware. An audit by the Revenue Monitoring Team revealed misappropriated funds involving Mr. Opoku Ware and several nurses. The head of the billing department Mr. Giscard Opoku Ware was busted alongside some nurses for deliberately and with a clear “Mens rea” of misappropriating thousands of Ghana cedi. Despite recommendations from the Disciplinary Committee to reshuffle the affected staff, Mr.
Opoku Ware and his associates remain in their positions, and instead of them to repent, they allegedly continued the siphoning galore.
Mad rush for corruption at GARH
As investigations continue, the scope of corruption at GARH is becoming ever clearer and deeper. The evidence suggests that GARH’S management not only failed to uphold the principles of transparency and fairness in procurement but may have been complicit in a series of fraudulent activities that have left the hospital in a dire financial situation.
The hospital’s imaging department, which was once a critical source of revenue, has seen its income plummet. The report notes that in the first half of 2024, revenue from the department dropped drastically, falling from over 3 million cedis in 2022 to just 1.8 million in 2024.
This alarming trend underscores the devastating impact of the fraudulent activities that have taken root in the institution.
