By STELLA SIMUTOWE – TWENTY-NINE officers in the Ministry of Health have been suspended and charged for misusing public funds. Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Peter Mwaba said officers from different provincial health offices have been suspended and recommended for dismissal, because of unretired money amounting to K844, 709. “K585, 095 has been retired, leaving a balance of K259, 615, which will be recovered from the respective officers’ terminal benefits,” Dr Mwaba said. Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) at Parliament in Lusaka yesterday, to respond to queries raised in the Auditor General’s Report of 2014, Dr Mwaba said the irregular use of accounts contrary to financial regulations for goods and services, was unacceptable and institutions had been warned and instructed to follow proper procedure. The Ministry of Health had issued a circular prohibiting procurement of goods and services by most officers in various hospitals putting a stop to the trend where most most officers procured goods and services without prior supervision from the ministry headquarters. Dr Mwaba said that extra duty, overtime and part time allowances totaling K670, 109, paid to some officers outside the payroll was an error and would be recovered from their salaries. He said to avoid overpayment of officers, which resulted in recoveries, requests to make payments would indicate the names and the divisions where those officers belonged to. Dr Mwaba also said K776, 864 had been recovered from 318 officers, that were given advance payments and loans and that management had appointed new end users to introduce recoveries without delays. The ministry was implementing an electronic logistics management system that was aimed at increasing visibility and accountability of medicines supplied to health facilities. Destination checks would be made for supplies delivered by the Medical Stores Limited.