MPs summon Pari over donor cash abuse

via MPs summon Pari over donor cash abuse – NewZimbabwe 14/06/2015

PARLIAMENT is, on Monday, set to quiz health minister David Parirenyatwa over the abuse by top ministery officials of a $1.5 million donation meant for the welfare of doctors.

Chairperson of the health parliamentary portfolio committee Ruth Labode will lead a panel of legislators who will be trying to find answers from Parirenyatwa on the alleged abuse of the donor funds.

“Parliament intends to establish from the Minister the measures that the Ministry put in place to ensure that the Targeted Approach Programme funds were used for the intended purpose on the alleged abuse of funds by the Permanent Secretary for Health and Child Care and other high-ranking officials in the Ministry,” read part of the agenda of the meeting sent by Parliament to members of the public interested in attending the hearing.

The funds were meant to be allowances for doctors on call.

Recently, Parirenyatwa, at the signing ceremony for a $13 million Health Transition Fund grant extension from the EU through UNICEF, said government had established a committee to investigate the alleged abuse of the fund.

He also said that they had explained to the concerned donors how the funds were used.

“We had a full day meeting with representatives of funding partners and the entire senior health staff where we reviewed both the negative and positive reports pertaining to the funds they have been giving us through the Health Transition Fund,” said the minister then.

“We recommended that there was need for wider consultations before any funds are distributed-a thing which was lacking before.

“We also discussed the issue of targeted approach in which hospitals were given money directly from government without following any other procedures and channels.

“This was also causing some loopholes. We agreed that this should go ahead but there must be ways which should be followed, ensuring that tender procedures have been agreed upon by the head office,” Parirenyatwa explained to donors who witnessed the event.