Auditor General asks MoH to explain COVID-19 funds use

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The Auditor-General Mohamed Ali has demanded the Ministry of Health explains how it has used COVID-19 funds and all other support mechanisms from the exchequer and donors.

In a letter dated February 7 and exclusively seen by Goobjoog News, Ali asked the Minister of Health Dr Fawzia Abikar to furnish his office with a report on how the funds have been utilised since the COVID-19 pandemic landed in the country last March.

The report, the AG said should include all funds channelled to the Ministry from the Federal Government and donors, drugs and equipment among all other COVID-19 support to the Ministry.

The Ministry has been dogged by corruption allegations which saw several senior officials among them director general and chief accounting officers sent to jail last year after they were found guilty of theft and misappropriation of funs.

The AG’s demand comes amid rising cases of COVID-19 in the country after a lull which saw virtually all health measures discarded by the public and government officials. On Sunday, 91 cases out of 1,202 tests were recorded in the country a day after 17 cases were found.

Majority of the cases (85) out of the 91 on Sunday were from Banaadir region which encompasses the capital Mogadishu. All the 17 cases on Saturday were from Banaadir.

Health Minister Dr Abikar has warned of a resurgence of the pandemic and called from the observance of COVID-19 health measures to counter the spread of the disease. So far, 152 people have died from the disease which has since infected 5,183 people.

Meanwhile, Dr Abikar said Sunday the country will import the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine through the support of the World Health Organisation expected to reach three million people. However, the first batch will target 1.2 million people who include frontline workers, the elderly, vulnerable babies and adults.