The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has taken action against three workers at the Upper East Regional Hospital for stealing medicines that belong to the government. The three individuals, Fasilat Raheem, Bridget Banoeyelle, and Raymond Asoke, got arrested in August 2023 after an investigation by Media Without Borders. The police found 34 boxes of stolen medicines during the arrests. These medicines were made in 2022 and given to the hospital by the Ministry of Health. They were supposed to be used by 2025.
These three workers are now facing a trial in a court in Bolgatanga, the capital of the Upper East Region. They are charged with stealing, conspiring, and helping with the theft. According to the GHS rules, when employees get interdicted (which means they can’t do their jobs for a while), they still get their salary but not the extra payments they usually get. This interdiction stays until an inquiry is done and a decision is made about what should happen to the employee.
The accused people will appear in court again on September 18, 2023. The police say they won’t tell who bought the stolen medicines from them.
