The Board Chairman

By- Mohammed Saani Ibrahim-The Accra Times

The acting Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital[ KBTH],Prof. Afua Hesse, by her current appointment is holding on to three different positions in the same institution.

With effect from January 1 this year, she assumed the position as the acting KBTH CEO,a position given to her by Mr. Eddie Annan , the Hospital’s Board Chairman, replacing Prof. Nii Out Nartey.

Investigations conducted by this reporter shows that Mr. Eddie Annan attempted granting a pro-rata leave to the former CEO Prof. Out Nartey , which was strongly kicked against by the Ministry of Health.

Until her appointment as the Acting CEO of the country’s leading Hospital, Prof. Afua Hesse was the Director of Medical Affairs at the Hospital and also an Associate Professor at the University of Ghana Medical School[UGMS.

Speaking to some administrators of the hospital, they indicted that handing over to Prof. Hesse is unacceptable in view of the fact that she is to be responsible for three different positions which requires her to work for 40 hours on each position within a week.

It is also on record that Prof. Hesse is taking full time salaries and other emoluments for her two previous positions whilst drawing 20% of the basic salary of a CEO as her allowances in her Acting role.

This stance taken by Mr. Annan to share the positions at the hospital among his cronies has generated lots of heat at Korle-bu, with many people contemplating on how Prof. Hesse will be able to manage three positions effectively. Our investigations also shows that whilst people believe that the known’’ cartel’’ is responsible for the destruction of the hospital, others also described Mr. Annan together with his cohorts as nothing but ‘’nation wreckers’’ who need to be checked thoroughly.

It also beats one’s imagination as to why a position of a CEO in a hospital like Korle-bu has been left unadvertised till date. However information gathered at Korle-bu points to the fact that the Borad Chairman refused to advertised the position three months before the former CEO‘s retirement because of the ill intention to allow Prof. Out Nartey to continue to be in office.

Interestingly, unable to achieve that particular desire, he[ Eddie Annan] had to push Prof. Hesse to act in that position knowing clearly that she already holds two different positions at the same hospital.

Seeking the views of some Directors of the Hospital, whom for fear of victimization spoke in positions of anonymity noted that the CEO’s position should be advertised immediately and filled with a more qualified candidate to ensure efficiency.

They also cited financial loss to the state in this case, stressing that if Prof. Hesse is allowed to act as CEO , she will be paid acting allowances as CEO and other privileges associated to that position whilst the CEO, in his illegal terminal leave will also be paid all his entitlements for the same position during the period which is a great ‘’ dis-service to the nation’’.