The Ministry of Health’s Human Resources Unit has strengthened its internal controls to avoid overpayments to staff who have left their jobs.

In the past couple of years, delays in notifying the MoH Headquarters of a staff member’s resignation led to instances of salary overpayments, which the Ministry is still trying to recover.

The Ministry’s Overpayment Recovery Balance as of July 31st 2022 stands at over $244,064 which was not recovered until the date of the audit.

Permanent Secretary for Health Dr. Jemesa Tudravu says that by decentralizing the services, the HR unit can now suspend the salaries of those who have exited the system immediately.

Responding to queries raised by the Public Accounts Committee regarding the Ministry of Health’s 2022 Audit Report on the Social Services Sector, Dr. Tudravu says the new measures are proving to be successful.

“So when we decentralised that authority and that process, we found that that system has really improved in terms of the timeliness of our seizing of salary, which was identified in the audit of 2022.”

However, the Ministry’s Head of Finance and Asset Manager Idrish Khan says many overpayment cases are still outstanding.

“And in particular cases like officers who are deemed to have resigned, and the notification had come in very late, so the cessation of salary took place, and by then we have found out that the officer has already been paid. So the recovery process has been difficult because the officer is offshore.”

Khan adds that in cases where the staff are still in the country, they are working with them on recovery agreements.

He further states that another measure is requiring hospitals to submit a fortnightly batch report on cessations as stipulated by the internal circular.

“So that is one reconciliation that we receive at headquarters salaries, and that information is also being reconciled with the human resource of the respective divisions and the hospitals, and with our headquarters HR department. And just to ensure that the timely exit takes place, we are also ensuring that the HR unit and the finance departments of the respective core centres, they have the availability of the payroll system, the relevant access in terms of making the cessation of salary.

The outstanding recovery of overpaid salaries dates back to 2019 and 2020.