Dr. E.O. Osae inaugurated the Audit Committee of the Cape-Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) on 4th April, 2023. The event was chaired by the Chief Executive of the Hospital, Dr. Eric Kofi Ngyedu.
Members of the Committee are Prof. K.B. Omane-Antwi (IAA Rep and Chairman), Mr. Charles Aryee (IAA Rep), Mr. Kwabena Owusu (ICAG Rep). Dr. Naney-Tebu Enyan and Mr. Fredrick Mensah-Acheampong are representatives of CCTH and Mr. Kafui Akpedonu is the Secretary to the Committee.
Dr Osae in his address thanked the outgoing Audit Committee for supporting the Hospital in implementing government policies and the incoming members for accepting to serve on the Committee. He mentioned that Audit Committees are Statutory Committees provided for under the Public Financial Management Act to support the Board and Management of Public institutions implement policies and deliver on their mandate. The Audit Committee, he said has three main roles, mandatory, advisory and supporting.
The mandatory role, Dr. Osae said, requires the Committee to ensure Management implement recommendations raised in Internal and External Audit Reports, Management Letters of External Auditors, directives from the Public Accounts Committee and Monitoring Reports of the Hospital. Also, the Committee is mandated to produce an annual report not later than 30th June, 2023. On the advisory role, the Committee is to support and advise Management on financial and performance audit. He mentioned some minor avoidable infractions of the institution, mentioned in the Auditor-General’s Report and tasked the Committee to support Management in saving lives without violating the PFM Act. He advised that the Committee supports the Internal Audit Unit (IAU) to mainstream performance auditing into its operations.
Speaking on the supporting role, the Director-General tasked the Committee to ensure timely submission of all reports by the IAU to avoid the publication of the Hospital as a defaulter. He informed the meeting of ongoing activities to restructure the inauguration of health sector Audit Committees and training of their members. Dr. Osae advised members of the Audit Committee to avail themselves for entrance and exit meetings of External Auditors to get firsthand information on issues raised and help resolve them before the issuance of the Management Letter.
The Director-General also inaugurated the Audit Committee of the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly on 5th April, 2023.
