Health Minister Dr Benjamin Kumbour has threatened to deal ruthlessly with persons occupying positions of authority in the health sector whose conduct undermine the proper functioning of the country’s health system. Dr Kumbour said while some legal limitations were imposed on him by the law establishing the Ghana Health Service, he was going to take proactive measures towards addressing some of the intractable problems that affect health delivery regardless of the likely consequences. He was speaking to Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah on a range of issues concerning the health sector. Responding to concerns raised by the Chief Psychiatrist of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital that the country’s mental facilities face imminent collapse as a result of mountain debts – GH¢2.2 million - Dr Kumbour expressed regret that Dr Akwasi Osei only granted radio interviews and wrote negative articles without contributing to solving the problems militating against mental health delivery in the country. The Health Minister said it was unfortunate that the Chief Psychiatrist was creating the impression that the debts were accrued “just yesterday.” “I know most of our training institutions...certainly owe a number of suppliers. The first important thing [is] how they entered into those contracts without money because you don’t just get up as a public institution, go to the market and collect ten bags of rice and you don’t know where you are going to get the money to pay for it…and I hear part of that debt has accumulated over the past 10 years. Now for any prudent manager who has seen this debt mount over the years and has not had an occasion to even raise it only to wake up and give the cumulative figure and give the impression as if that debt accrued just yesterday is [quite] unfortunate,” he said. He said the administrators of the Psychiatric Hospital have not come out to tell “us how much of that debt was accumulated as a result of outright stealing and pilfering of the foodstuff that they bring for the inmates. Until I get that report in terms of the quantum, it is not just a question of going to find money to go and pay for commodities that were sent ostensibly for the inmates and you go and steal and pilfer them and you think you don’t owe the people of this country explanation, government must go and find the money and come and pay.” The apparently distraught Dr Kumbour said the government had made some money available to pay “what we believe are legitimate debts…but debts that were incurred as a result of outright mismanagement and serious negligence, people will have to take responsibility for them.” “That big government pocket,” he warned, “cannot continue in the way people think it should continue.” Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana