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.
