PAC grills Health PS over Tšepong private wing

By: Mathatisi Sebusi/Mpesi Mohloai

THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has accused the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, ’Maneo Ntene, and the ministry’s Director-General, Dr Ledia Ranyali, of having personal interests in the establishment of a private wing at the Queen ’Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH).

PAC Chairperson, Machabane Lemphane-Letsie, demanded clarity on who initiated the private wing project and pressed the ministry to produce minutes of the meetings where the decision was supposedly discussed.

When QMMH management said there were no minutes, Ms Ntene told the committee she had instructed the hospital to proceed with the plan, arguing that the development was already part of QMMH’s strategic plan.

However, the PAC insisted that the hospital had bypassed legal procurement procedures. Ms Lemphane-Letsie questioned why an expression of interest was used instead of a formal tender and challenged the unusually short timeframe between receipt of requirements and publication of the notice.

PS Ntene had told this publication that the private wing would significantly cut down on referrals to South Africa, where Lesotho continues to incur huge medical bills.

Last year, reports indicated that Lesotho was struggling with medical debt amounting to M211 million owed to the South African government.