Whistleblower : Health Care Assistant Accused of Cheating SSRN Hospital’s System

A confidential letter has surfaced, alleging that a Health Care Assistant at the State-run SSRN Hospital has been involved in fraudulent practices and that his supervisor has covered up the issue.

The letter, dated July 3, 2024, was sent to the Ministry of Health, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (now known as the Financial Crimes Commission), with a copy provided to this publication.

The letter claimed that the Health Care Assistant, stationed at Ward 04, had requested payment for days he did not work.

The incident allegedly occurred in October last year. The Independent Commission Against Corruption had initially instructed the Ministry of Health to investigate the matter, but the then-Regional Nursing Administrator, now the Deputy Director of Nursing, allegedly “distorted facts and masked the fraudulent nature” of the claim, considering it valid.

The letter also raised concerns about the promotion of the Deputy Director of Nursing to Regional Nursing Administrator, which is seen as unjust.

It is alleged that he was promoted after 25 years of service, while other nursing staff members with over 30 years of service are still working as Charge Nurses or Acting Ward Managers.

This promotion has led to widespread frustration among hospital staff.

Letter stated, “The situation has led to widespread frustration and demotivation among the staff, further exacerbated by the fraudulent activities being overlooked or covered up.”

As a result, a new inquiry by an impartial committee from the Ministry of Health is being demanded to investigate these alleged fraudulent practices within SSRN Hospital.

The committee should exclude any staff members from the inquiry to ensure transparency and objectivity.

The suspension of staff members involved, including the Charge Nurse and Nursing Supervisor, until the end of the investigation is also being requested to prevent any potential interference.

When approached for comment, the Ministry of Health stated that it had taken note of the letter and was handling the matter internally within its Human Resources and Administration department.

Efforts to obtain more information from the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) were still pending at press time.

Source: l’Express