Ghanaian taxpayers are asking government to disclose how much it had spent on President John Evans Atta- Mills’s recent medical trip to the United States of America.
The taxpayers believe they deserve to know how their monies are spent. Apart from concern that he is wasting so much state money on his trips abroad for medical reasons, there is also concern about his long absence from work because of the frequently recurring medical check-ups.
The BBC last week reported that President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe draws $3 million from the treasury each time he travels to Singapore for medical check-ups, a statement that was confirmed by the Zimbabwean Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, of the coalition partner, the Movement for Democratic Change.
“Ghanaians deserve to know how their money is being spent. President Mills did not spend his personal money. Ghanaian taxpayers’ money or the oil money would have been used to offset the medical bills,” Justice Boateng, who works with Ghana Revenue Authority has stated.
“Remember, the President went with his entourage, and they all were in the US for the number of days he spent there,” he added.
Joyce Bubuame, a Nurse at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, stated: “Who knows, the money spent in US might have been enough to equip at least one hospital in Ghana. It was the biggest embarrassment that our President went to the State for his medical treatment. We must be told how much it cost the Ghanaian taxpayer.”
She added “government should either send every sick Ghanaian overseas for treatment or completely ban overseas medical treatment for government officials, and properly equip our hospitals.”
On her part, the Chief Executive Officer of Mandoh Group, Grace Mandoh, stated: "It is worth reminding everyone that this is the people's money that is being spent. Surely, he can cut costs by seeking local treatment. We don’t have to be spending so much money on foreign doctors. Is he saying the local doctors are not good enough for him? Or this is the price we are paying for his obsession to keep his medical condition secret. Government must tell us the cost of his medical bill.”
Many other taxpayers were of the view that in the interest of accountability, relevant committees in parliament or civil society watchdogs should request the government to disclose all funds spent to pay medical bills for state officers.
The policy advisor of the minority New Patriotic Party, Kweku Kwarteng, however thinks otherwise.
“The President is not under any obligation to disclose his medical bills but he can do so in the name of accountability and transparency,” he told Economy Times.
He added: “Ghanaians should be concerned with the unemployment issue in the country, and provision of basic services to the people instead of the President’s health issue.”
In a related development, reports say that after the terminal illness of some Kenyan cabinet ministers and state officials, the citizens of Kenya are asking their government to tell the public how much it costs the taxpayer to cater for the medical bills of those officials.
Recently, the Kenyan Minister for Public Health, Beth Mugo, flew to USA to get treatment for cancer, and according to media reports, the cost of treatment will be 27 million Kenyan shillings which will be paid by the state.
