Minister probes missing diabetes cash

Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia, has waded into the issue of the alleged misappropriation of $4 million diabetes fund given to Ghana by the International Diabetes Foundation to support diabetes programme in the country.

The minister in response to series of publications on the issue had ordered investigations into the alleged issue, assuring Ghanaians that the National Diabetes Programme will not suffer because of acts of omission or commission on the part of any individuals or organisations involved in the matter.

A release from the ministry’s Public Affairs Department, however, established the fact that in 2009, the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) provided a grant of $1,773,015 to the National Diabetes Management and Research Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

The said amount, according to the Ministry of Health, was for a project called the National Diabetes Programme, with a view of Ghana improving prevention and care for diabetics.

The statement indicated that “the funds were to be used mainly for training of health personnel, while Ghana’s IN KIND contribution of staff costs, equipment and health facilities usage costs added up to a project total of a little over $40 million.”

It further stated that the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) occasionally sent its officials to Ghana to review the programme in 2012 which resulted in some revisions.

“The latest visit was carried out in June 2015, and a preliminary assessment of the reviewer was that there had been non-compliance on certain aspects of the programme and continuous delay of the jointly agreed project milestone,” it stated.

A letter issued to the director of the Ghana Diabetes Programme further stated that “while awaiting a final decision by the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) Board of Directors, the local project account shall be frozen and all planned activities be suspended immediately.”

It could be recalled that the National Diabetes Association, Ghana, cried foul some weeks ago over an alleged misappropriation of $4million given to National Diabetes and Management and Research Centre for a national diabetes programme.

The association alleged that they have not been involved in the disbursement of the funds for the diabetes programme, indicating that there were also no projects related to the said programme being undertaken in the country.

Elizabeth Esi Denyoh, President of the Ghana Diabetes Association, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE, said the misappropriation of the said funds had led to the association facing challenges in accessing international funds as they were always referred to the earlier fund released for the country.