Heated arguments ensued among the Presidential Steering Committee ( PSC) on Covid-19, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire and Head of Hospital Services , over disbursement of N1.2bn Covid-19 case management fund .
The Chairman Presidential Steering Committee ( PSC) on COVID -19, Boss Mustapha represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services office, Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Maurice Mbaeri while appearing before the Senate Committee on Health on budgetary votes against Covid-19 in 2021 ,said out of N21.63billion appropriated, total sum ,N1.830billion was appropriated for case management of the pandemic.
He added that out of the N1.830 billion, about N1.281 billion naira was released to the Ministry of Health for management of covid -19 patients
But in response to his submission, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Health , Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe ( APC Kwara Central), refuted his claim of N1.2bn purportedly released to the ministry , adding that the minister of health, Chief Medical Directors of national hospital , Gwagwalada hospital, and other heads of major hospitals had appeared before the committee and refuted claims that they received Covid 19 funds from the PSC.
“All Covid – 19 funds were managed by the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation “, he stressed.
The SGF representative in his response, initially insisted that the funds were managed by the ministry of health, but later agreed that the funds were sent directly
to the hospitals based on request from the hospitals on covid-19 cases managed .
But the Director, Department of Hospital Services (FMOH) , said
the hospitals were mandated to fill documents, and all criteria were met, yet the monies were not released.
However, the Minister of Health in further submissions , claimed that the cases request were sent directly to the PSC and a direct facility finance method of payment was adopted, where the payment were made directly to the hospital facility and ministry of health was not in the picture
According to him, when the PSC stopped payment of case management, the ministry was not aware and assumed that the PSC was still in touch with the hospitals
Apparently confused with divergent submissions from the stakeholders, the lawmakers resolved to have a round table on a later date with the minister of finance, budget office , PSC minister of health and heads of hospitals .
