… as Hospital donations remain at Tema Port after 4 months

An issue involving donations by Gadangme Union in Italy (Emilia Romagna Branch), which includes 84 hospital beds and an ambulance, meant for some hospitals in Accra and still uncleared at the Tema Port for the past 4 months, was the subject of comments in a Radio Show programme broadcast from London. The Talk Show programme called, ‘Bo Oba’, (on Hotdigital Radio, broadcast on Sunday evenings – from 18:00 GMT) is mostly participated by Gadangme natives residing in Europe and the United States and they widely lambasted authourities in Ghana, especially the Ministry of Health for the delay in processing documents for the clearance of the goods. The man at the centre of controversy, Romeo Tetteh (Head of Procurement Department - under the Ministry of Health in Accra), who is believed to be holding on to documents required to clear the goods and expecting bribe, was given a severe ‘roasting’ by many people who called in on the Show.

The host of the programme, ‘Bishop T’, informed his listeners he made several attempts to get in touch with Romeo Tetteh and the Deputy Minister of Health, Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, to come and explain their version of the story on the issue but they had their phones switched off.

In an earlier interview, Romeo Tetteh had explained the documents covering the items were presented at the Ministry of Health office long after the goods has arrived in the country and that made it attract some rent charges of which the Ministry is working hard to raise funds to settle the cost. This was denied by a Representative of the Union in Accra who was contacted on the programme. He indicated he personally presented the documents the same week the goods arrived in Accra and cannot understand why the Ministry of Health has not been able to release, in 4 months, the required document demanded by the Customs and Excise Department to clear the goods at the harbour, without charges.

The Secretary of the Union, Christopher Sowah Klu, who also called in to the programme further explained the Union made enquiries from the Ghana Embassy in Rome about shipment of the items and were provided with all the necessary assistance with letters sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Health and Customs and Excise Department in Accra. He said it has come as a surprise to the Union, bureaucracy and greediness has taken the better part of some officials at the Ministry of Health at a time when the goods will serve a purpose to save some lives.

Participants on the Show described Romeo Tetteh as insensitive to the plight of people who will benefit from the donation of the goods and called for him to be fired.

They also condemned to a large extent authourities in Ghana, including Parliamentarians, saying they are only interested to be elected and after that have nothing to do with the electorates.

The Representative of the Union in Accra finally told listeners he is in contact with some higher authourities in Government to get to the root of the problem and have the goods cleared from the Port for distribution to the beneficiaries of which the Union has specifically directed which item and quantity are to be allocated to each hospital on their list.