…slams procurement, finance and maintenance managers
Moroke Sekoboto
THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has come down hard on Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH) management over alleged widespread procurement irregularities, including the bypassing of procurement procedures and the alleged favouring of certain service providers.
The concerns emerged this week during a PAC inquiry into the hospital’s operations and financial management, where QMMH Procurement Manager, Masekoati Motšetšero, admitted that procurement procedures were sometimes not followed.
Ms Motšetšero told the committee that members of the hospital’s Executive Management interfered with procurement processes and, in some instances, directed the procurement department on which companies should be awarded tenders.
PAC members questioned her failure to ensure compliance with the Lesotho Public Procurement Act of 2023, with Chair of Chairs Mokhothu Makhalanyane questioning whether she was suitably qualified to hold her position.
“You admitted that you were aware that you were breaking the law. Can you provide evidence that you got directives from your bosses so that we can protect you? Because if you tell this Committee that your boss just told you, that is hearsay. There must be some written communications,” Mr Makhalanyane said.
He accused the hospital management of deliberately disregarding procurement regulations and called for disciplinary action against those responsible.
“This is misprocurement with impunity. You are single sourcing from your friends without following any procedure. People must be held to account. We cannot continue with this kind of maladministration,” he said.
Mr Makhalanyane further said the Committee could recommend that the entire management team be removed.
“This management must be dismantled. We are going to recommend that they are all fired, not a single one left, because they will corrupt the new management,” he said.
Ms Motšetšero acknowledged that she knew procurement laws were not being followed but said she had faced resistance from her superiors.
“I was aware that the procurement law was not followed, but I got resistance from Executive Management. Managing Directors and Deputy Managing Directors interfered with procurement procedures,” she said.
She explained that she was required to amend requisitions to provide for Deputy Managing Directors to authorise procurement in their respective departments before the Managing Director could give final approval.
“I had to make that provision because the Deputy Managing Directors insisted that they did not like to be surprised with the procured goods in their relevant departments. They accused the procurement department of doing things our way,” Ms Motšetšero said.
She further admitted that tenders were discussed during private meetings before being presented to the procurement committee.
“We discussed tenders during our private meetings before they could be delivered to the procurement committee. We didn’t follow the procurement processes, and we would decide which companies should supply or provide services to the hospital,” she said.
Ms Motšetšero said she had advised her superiors to comply with procurement procedures whenever they were breached, but could not provide written evidence of such advice.
She said many of the decisions were made during private meetings.
PAC chairperson, Machabana Lemphane-Letsie, also raised concerns over the alleged single sourcing of supplies from companies linked to hospital officials and questioned the role played by Maintenance Manager, Teboho Mafatle, in the process.
Mr Mafatle, however, told the Committee that the single sourcing in question had taken place before he joined the hospital.
Ms Lemphane-Letsie recommended disciplinary action against QMMH Executive Management, particularly after the executives declined to appear before the committee to answer questions relating to the hospital’s operations and financial management.
The Committee also took Finance Manager, Tšele Sehlabo, to task after learning that some QMMH service providers remained unpaid, with the committee further informed that, in some cases, payments had been made by the Ministry of Health.
Mr Sehlabo was also questioned over the diversion of funds intended for the National Drug Services Organisation (NDSO) and patient referrals to pay staff salaries.
He struggled to explain why money from the contingency fund, which had been intended for referrals and the payment of NDSO, was instead used for salaries.
“There are service providers that you still owe. You were given money from the contingency fund for referrals and to pay NDSO, but you used it for salaries,” Ms Lemphane-Letsie said.
She accused the hospital of putting the public at risk by diverting funds meant for essential services.
“You knew that when there were no medicines people would blame the government, yet you misuse public funds. There are suppliers that you paid because they are your friends, but Basotho who provided services are still owed,” she said.
The inquiry also heard of other alleged irregularities, including the unlawful awarding of tenders, failure to account for petty cash, diversion of funds and allegations relating to medical malpractice.
Ministry of Health Acting Principal Secretary, Matšoanelo Monyobi, told the Committee that the ministry was working towards restructuring QMMH.
He said the hospital was currently under audit and that action would be taken against officials found guilty of wrongdoing.
The PAC inquiry is part of Parliament’s oversight of the hospital’s operations and the management of public funds.
