Minister orders special medical auditing for abroad treatments

By Sauli Giliard

Government will not pay the outstanding medical bill for overseas treatment uncovered in the Controller and Auditing General (CAG) until thorough special medical auditing is conducted.

Health Minister Ms Ummy Mwalimu told reporters in Dodoma, Tuesday, that the CAG report revealed the bill stood at 28.6bn/- but rose sharply in the period of six months to 45.7bn/-, which is an increase of 17.1bn/- last year.
Elaborating the matter, Ms Ummy said, her ministry will pay only after auditing has been conducted adding “when CAG was auditing the ministry, the medication bill amounted to 28.6bn/- and still the verification was ongoing.”
Ms Ummy added, Health Ministry is concurring with CAG advice that “we should improve internal capacity in providing medical services instead of sending patients abroad for treatments.” She said government has already started implementing the CAG recommendations that is why kidney transplant and heart surgery services are available in the country.