The National Audit Office has uncovered substantial irregularities in the Health Ministry’s financial practices during 2023, highlighting breaches of Treasury guidelines and inefficiencies in resource management.
Excessive Overtime and Holiday Payments
According to the audit report, the Health Ministry paid over Rs. 382.3 million in overtime and holiday allowances in 2023, in violation of the Treasury Secretary’s circulars. Alarmingly, these payments accounted for 72% of the Ministry’s total payroll expenditure.
Inactive Biometric Machines
The report also reveals that the Ministry spent over Rs. 30 million to procure and install 213 fingerprint attendance machines in hospitals and institutions, which remain inactive. Despite these machines being non-operational, the Ministry continued to pay overtime and holiday allowances based on reported attendance, contravening a directive issued by the Treasury Secretary in July 2017. The directive clearly stated that overtime allowances should not be paid without operational biometric verification.
Sustainable Development Goals Neglected
The audit further criticized the Health Ministry’s lack of progress in achieving sustainable development indicators. Out of the 31 indicators identified for the Ministry, progress was reported on only 13, while none of these met the required performance standards.
Implications and Accountability
These findings, documented in the latest audit report, raise serious questions about the Ministry’s financial discipline and governance. The payment of excessive allowances without proper verification systems and the failure to meet sustainable development targets underscore systemic inefficiencies that could undermine public health initiatives.
Stakeholders are calling for urgent corrective action to address these inefficiencies, ensure compliance with established financial regulations, and enhance the Ministry’s accountability in managing public funds effectively.