Korle Bu's director of finance under intense scrutiny - Report

The controversy surrounding the pay-to-jump-the-queue healthcare arrangement at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, popularly known as intramural services, took a fresh turn yesterday after the hospital’s Director of Finance, Emmanuel Coffie, failed to mention or account for revenue generated from private specialist services in his financial report.

Coffie’s failure to address the matter during the hospital’s crucial mid-year performance review meeting yesterday, Thursday, September 10, 2026, left some staff confused and sparked renewed debate over the financial management of intramural services at the hospital.

Dr Patrick Bankah, a neurosurgeon at Korle Bu, questioned why the financial report did not include accounts for intramural services, particularly given that the controversial arrangement had become a major subject of public discussion following The Herald’s exposé on how big money is allegedly used to purchase healthcare in the country.

Dr Bankah, whose department, and indeed he himself, have been linked by some to the scheme as major beneficiaries, questioned why Coffie’s financial report had omitted accounts relating to intramural services.

According to the brain surgeon, the issue had become a major topic of discussion in the country and, therefore, should not have been glossed over in the report delivered by the Director of Finance, particularly at a time when Korle Bu had come under intense public scrutiny over the arrangement.

Multiple sources told The Herald that Coffie acknowledged the omission and promised to make the relevant information available, although he did not indicate when this would be done.

Some insiders have described the arrangement as a “VIP medical treatment scheme” and a “private practice within a public practice using public resources”.

The report covered the hospital’s financial and operational performance from January to June 2026. The performance review is held every six months, with the next one scheduled for December, although insiders said it could be moved to January.

The absence of a report on specialist care has therefore raised many questions about the hospital’s finances, particularly how much money comes into its coffers from intramural services and other services.

The arrangement allows patients to access specialist care ahead of others if they can pay significantly more than the hospital’s standard charges.

Thus, a patient who would ordinarily pay GH¢98,000 to Korle Bu for regular care could end up paying twice or even three times that amount to obtain expedited treatment.

It is alleged that some patients are told they could remain on waiting lists for up to six months for regular care. Out of desperation and fear of losing their lives, some patients are reportedly forced to sell their landed properties to raise money to pay for intramural or expedited care.

Critics argue that patients who cannot afford the additional fees or lack property to sell to finance their medical care risk being left without timely access to specialist care and, as a result, could die from lack of care.

Additionally, questions have been raised about whether all such payments pass through the coffers of Korle Bu, despite the use of the state hospital’s resources, including the working hours of its doctors, nurses, consultants and other personnel.

Interestingly, there have also been concerns at the hospital about how much it generates from regular services paid for by patients outside the intramural arrangement.

Reports indicate that even banks, including GCB Bank, operating on the hospital premises and set up to facilitate the hospital’s operations, have, on some occasions, failed to provide proper accounts of monies collected for and on behalf of the hospital.

Some staff are reportedly unhappy with the Director of Finance and believe he could manage the hospital’s finances better.

Speaking during the hospital’s mid-year performance review yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam, indicated that intramural services had become an established part of the hospital’s operations and would continue.

According to Dr Adam, management had implemented measures to facilitate the approval and release of funds generated from intramural activities.

He explained that a dedicated file had been created in his office to expedite the approval process and ensure that the necessary funds were distributed appropriately among staff.

The CEO also explained that intramural practice provided an avenue for patients to access specialist private services using the hospital’s facilities and resources.

Some of these services, he noted, were provided outside the regular working week, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays.

The controversial arrangement has, however, continued to spark debate among stakeholders, particularly over the balance between private specialist services and the hospital’s responsibility to provide accessible public healthcare.

The mid-year review also highlighted issues relating to the accounting of revenue generated from intramural activities.

It was indicated during the review that some revenue generated through the services had not been fully accounted for.

The issue has brought renewed attention to the need for effective revenue management, reconciliation and reporting systems within the hospital.

Concerns were also raised regarding revenue generated by a unit within the Accident and Emergency Department, particularly laboratory-related revenue, which was reportedly not fully accounted for during the review.

Revenue reconciliation from the Diet Therapy Department was also debated after a staff member questioned the figures contained in the report.

The development has highlighted the importance of strengthening financial monitoring systems across the state hospital’s revenue-generating units.

Intramural services have increasingly become part of healthcare delivery and revenue-generation arrangements in major public hospitals.

At Korle Bu, the services provide patients with access to specialist care while also generating revenue for the institution.

However, stakeholders continue to emphasise the need for clear operational guidelines to ensure that private services do not negatively affect access to routine public healthcare.

There is also a need for transparent systems that clearly account for revenues generated, the use of institutional resources, and the distribution and utilisation of funds.

As the controversy continues, attention is expected to remain focused on how Korle Bu can effectively balance its public healthcare mandate with the need to generate additional resources to support specialist services and institutional development.

The issues raised during the mid-year review offer the hospital an opportunity to strengthen its financial controls, improve revenue tracking, and ensure both public and intramural services operate within clearly defined administrative and accountability frameworks.