The former PPP/C government spent $45.3 million for medical treatment for seven government officials last year, according to the 2014 Auditor-General’s report which was laid in the National Assembly yesterday.
The report said that for the period under review, an amount of $196.654 million was expended to facilitate medical treatment, airfare, rental, shipping, meals, etc.
Included in the sum, are amounts totalling $144.186m, which represents payments for 498 private individuals and seven government officials who underwent medical treatment.
“The total cost for the private individuals was $98.864M, while the cost in respect of the government officials was $45.322 M,” the report said.
This would amount to an average of $198,522 per private citizen and $6.5 million per government official.
The audit report added that the relevant approvals for expenditure were presented for audit examination and the head of the ministry acknowledged the finding.
The Audit Office recommended that the ministry formulate a policy with respect to the amount of medical help that should be granted to individual patients.
Earlier this year, Stabroek News reported that of the $361.4 million disbursed by the State as financial assistance for medical treatment in the 2012-2013 period, the majority – over $200 million – was spent on top government officials and their associates.
Questions have been raised about the guidelines that govern State medical assistance to government officials and whether there is an enshrined policy. Members of the public who have approached the Ministry of Health for aid have often complained about the bureaucratic hurdles before they are granted partial assistance.
The 2012-13 list includes over $116 million spent in one year on cancer treatment for now deceased presidential advisor Navin Chandarpal.
Of the cheques given for dental work, which totalled $4.2 million, nine were for then Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai, which amounted to $2.1 million, then Minister of Human Services Jennifer Webster was granted $1.3 million, then Prime Minister Sam Hinds $28,240 and his wife Yvonne $788,880. A total of $25,160 was paid for the other person who benefitted from dental assistance.
Then leader of the APNU+AFC coalition and now President David Granger had expressed alarm at some of the sums and told Stabroek News that the expenses were excessive and the system needs structure. He said that a “structured policy and guidelines” would be implemented under his leadership if the coalition won the May 11th elections.
“There should be a law that governs the conditions under which members of the cabinet or members of the government access this particular facility…who, how much and for how long that is what is needed,” Granger told Stabroek News.
He had vowed to ensure that criteria are implemented, if he was elected. “There should be criteria. It should be laid down to determine who is eligible for any form of special medical attention…that is the persons who will be eligible and the types of illnesses…something purely ornamental, it will not be considered.
The duration and the amount must be capped so that the public can be satisfied that their money is well spent. It has to be revised what we saw is outrageous, it is an outrage,” he had stressed.
