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EXACTLY a year ago, we broke the story of massive looting at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo where senior executives were conniving with suppliers to fleece the institution of millions of dollars in a tender scam. A tender awarded to city businessman Ashton Mpofu’s New Planet company blew the lid on the orgy of plunder which had been going on for years and gnawing away at the hospital’s meagre resources.
Senior officials at the institution allegedly engineered the cancellation of the $3 million tender to refurbish the radiotherapy centre and supply cancer treatment machinery with Mpofu pointing an accusing finger at Mpilo operations director Regina Duduza Moyo and former chief executive officer Lawrence Mantiziba whom he alleged demanded bribes to facilitate the smooth running of the contract.
Following our expose, the Mpilo board of directors ordered an audit which unearthed serious tender irregularities at one of the country’s biggest referral institutions. The audit, carried out by PNA Chartered Accountants, concluded that Mantiziba failed to put in place checks and balances, leaving the system open to abuse and prejudicing the hospital of millions of dollars.
They recommended that he be charged with gross negligence. After scrutinising 838 tenders worth $4,6 million awarded between January 2012 and December 31, 2014, the investigating team found that 444 tenders worth $2,8 million flouted provisions of the Procurement Act. The audit also found that Moyo allegedly manipulated the Procurement and Tender Committee to determine the outcome of tenders.
The report also showed that she tampered with files to withhold information from the investigating team. Moyo was also found guilty of drafting letters on behalf of suppliers claiming money from the hospital and deliberately awarding multiple tenders to the same individuals in different company guises.
The report recommended that she be prosecuted for fraud. Govo was found guilty of authorising payments to companies without withholding tax and paying suppliers without tax clearances.
The audit also recommended his prosecution for fraud. The Mpilo board, after taking delivery of the audit report, recommended that Mantiziba, Moyo and Govo be suspended to allow for a more comprehensive examination of the hospital’s financial dealings.
The board, in their letter to the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa, dated March 3, said they believed the audit was a solid indicator of serious acts of misconduct at the hospital on the part of the CEO, operations director and finance director. “As such swift action has to be taken for order, transparency and accountability to be restored at the hospital,” the letter said.
The auditors also found that the PTC members were clueless about their duties and let Moyo have her way. They recommended its immediate dissolution. The three top officials were suspended in April last year without pay pending further investigations. Yesterday, we reported that Moyo and Govo had been fired by the Health Services Board for abuse of office following a hearing conducted on September 14 last year.
Mantiziba escaped going to a disciplinary hearing after his contract with the health institution ran out days before the others appeared before the HSB but he was found guilty of failing to supervise his subordinates, in absentia. The chairperson of the Hospital’s board Sichelesile Moyo-Ncube confirmed the latest developments.
“The Health Services Board has dismissed them following a hearing. We’ve been informed of that decision. That’s all there’s to say at this time,” she said.
Sources said Moyo was found guilty on a majority of the 11 charges she was facing and she had been ordered to repay $35,000 to Mpilo Central Hospital, which is an advance payment that she facilitated for a company that did not provide service to the institution. “Both Moyo and Govo have been dismissed without pay and benefits for the period they were under suspension,” said a source.
We welcome the swift action taken by the Mpilo board and the HSB in ridding the institution of a cabal that was clearly out to bankrupt the hospital and render it impotent to deliver a satisfactory service to the people. The extent of the rot at Mpilo shows that authorities have a lot of work to do to cleanse it of malcontents sucking the life out of the hospital.
Their network of runners should be sniffed out and chucked out of the hospital so that new and competent people are put in place. The board should also be seized with installing checks and balances to ensure that the hospital is not prejudiced again.
Mpilo is a huge institution serving the southern region of the country and the government should never allow a situation where it is brought to its knees by the actions of a few greedy administrators.
We therefore feel that besides suffering the ignominy of being fired, the two top officials should also face the full wrath of the law for seeking to profit at the expense of thousands of patients.
Online Reporter