Mrs. J. O. Matthew
Head of Department
BACKGROUND
Finance and Account Department is one of the major departments and financial nerve center/hub of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. It is a professional department which has been in existence since the creation of the hospital.
The Accounts Department of the University College Hospital, Ibadan commenced business transactions immediately the hospital opens her door to patients in November, 1957. The department, under the able leadership of Mr. Mac Lachlan, a white man, was responsible for the collection of payment for treatment, preparation of payment of staff salaries and wages. Mr. Mac Lachlan, the then Chief Accountant was assisted by Mr. I. O. Ajoje who eventually became the first indigenous Head of department/Chief Accountant in 1966.
The major sections in the department at inception were: Fees, Salaries, Wages, Machine Room, Voucher and Cash Office.
- The Fees section was responsible for the collections of payments made by patients for treatment. The section was running a day and night shift system for effectiveness and efficiency.
- The Salary Section was responsible for the preparation of the regular staff monthly salary and allowances. The staff on the system were Doctors, Nurses and Administrative staff while the Wages Unit was responsible for the payment of hospital casual workers. These categories of staff receive their payment bimonthly (forth nightly). This system was on till early 1980s before the introduction of paying into staff bank account.
- Machine Room was responsible for posting of ledger and extraction of Trial Balance of the hospital.
- Voucher Section was in charge of raising payment vouchers and voting of LPO
- Cash Office Section was responsible for receipting and lodgment of cash.
- Ajoje introduced Cash Book into the system to replace the ledger books and dependency on Machine Room.
- External Auditor: This responsibility was been handled by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation before the introduction of Accounting Firms for this exercise. The first External Auditor was Onalaja & Co. (Auditing Firm).
- The first hospital cashier was Mr. E. O. Jegede. Subsequent heads of the unit were: Mr. Winsala, Mr. Akangbe, Mr. T. A. Oladipo and Mrs. Sike Imilogome
- The Fees Section was first headed by Mr. Okoye followed by Messers Oloyede, Adewumi, Adegbola and Mr. Opasina.
Presently, the department is headed by Mrs. J. O. Matthew, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. The department presently has twenty – two (22) Sections that handle various aspects of Finance and Accounting of the hospital. It mainly deals with funds flow (in and out) of the hospital which included IGR, fees from patients and releases from the FGN, payment to Contractors and processing of Staff salaries.
Prior to August 2013, the salaries were prepared and paid in the Finance and Accounts Department, however, effective August 2013, the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), a Federal Ministry of Finance Initiative has been responsible for salaries payment to permanent staff, while the department handles salary payment to other staff through Government Integrated Finance and Management Information System (GIFMIS) Platform.
Collection of fees from patient was handled by the department solely up till 2003 after which it was sublet to banks. A further review of the activities of the contracted banks and the latest information technology development, the hospital is presently using the Finance and Accounts staff with Pay Attitude Company to collect payment for the hospital. There are different pay points in the hospital where patients made payment while the department reconcile on daily basis.
The hospital was transacting business with commercial banks until September 15, 2015 when the Federal Government introduced the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
The department, no doubt, has grown in quality and quantity in terms of personnel, volume of financial, transactions and computerization of its services. The department is proud to have over 30 qualified Accountants among her 194 staff.
The management of public fund requires an appropriate and comprehensive accounting system. This has necessitated the formulation of a number of control measure to ensure accountability and probity right from the budget proposal level to the actual implementation. As government spending grows, there is need for an acceptable accounting system that will comprehensively prefer solution to the accounting needs of the hospital.
Thus, the need to evaluate the benefits and manage the costs becomes more essential. Thus, the enrolment of accounting system, and its efficiency and effectiveness as it manifests in its impact on the hospital.
- To be a leading financial service provider offering the highest level of service to the Hospital in consistent with the International Standards and Regulatory Guidelines.
- To pursue financial management functions of the Hospital, rationalize resources and offer professional consultancy to aid efficient and effective achievement of our Institution’s corporate plan.
- Meritocracy
- Embracing Creativity and Innovative measures
- Courage to initiate change and adapt
- Accountability and Transparency
- Professionalism and Team work
The purpose is to render accounting and finance services to the hospital to enable her render excellent, prompt, affordable and accessible care in an environment that promote hope and dignity irrespective of status.
The Accounting procedures will start from the;
- Receipts of various fees for services that will be rendered;
- Payment for expenses to be incurred; and
- To the reporting of the financial performance.
- Also, to be involved in the preparation of budgets for both Capital and Recurrent expenditure.
- Ours is to be the flagship Tertiary health Care Institution in the West African Sub-region offering world class training, research and services; and the first-choice for seeking health care in a safe environment known for a culture of continuous and compassionate quality care.
To render excellent, prompt, affordable and accessible care in an environment that promotes hope and dignity irrespective of status whilst developing high quality health personnel in an environment that stimulates excellent and relevant research.
The duties and responsibilities of a Finance and Account Department are as stated in the Financial Regulations. However, the core responsibilities are:
- Safeguard the assets of the hospital by ensuring correct, accurate and complete recording of its Non-Current Assets;
- Render prompt, timely and periodic management reports to assist the management in its day-to-day running of the hospital;
- Maintain proper accounting records that will ensure impeccable periodic and annual financial reports of the activities of the hospital such as can be deduced from accurate trial balance, income & expenditure account and Statement of Financial Position;
- Preparation of the end of the year financial statements for audit purposes;
- Assisting the External & Internal Auditors by laying down all the books and financial records of the hospital that will assist them in forming an opinion on reliability and true and fair view of the hospital financial performance;
- Prompt rendition of periodic returns of revenue and expenditure to the Federal Government;
- Ensuring prompt & complete collection of all the hospital subventions i.e. capital, overhead, personnel and special subventions;
- Preparation and submission of monthly Trial Balance to Office of the Accountant General of the Federation;
- Liaising with the Federal Ministries of Health and Finance, Accountant General, Budget office on financial matters.
- Preparation and defending of the annual hospital budgets before the Ministries and the National Assembly & Monitoring of the budget performance;
- Prompt & accurate payment of staff salaries and allowances subject to availability of fund as at when due and ensuring prompt payment of the P.A.Y.E. to the appropriate organs of government;
- Advises the Board and management of the hospital in all matters relating to finance;
- Ensuring that all the hospitals revenue are correctly & promptly recorded while all her expenditures are completely captured under proper headings;
- Ensuring judicious use of the hospital resources by ensuring correct payments to the contractors while at the same time comply with financial regulations of the government and ensuring that no revenue is lost by the Federal Government through withholding tax and Value Added Tax (VAT);
- Provision of timely, effective, efficient and transparent Financial/Accounting Services which geared towards realization of the hospital’s vision and mission;
- Budgeting and budgetary control and handling of all matters relating to finance.
The need for keeping prompt and accurate record of financial transactions in a teaching hospital cannot be over-emphasized. Finance and Account department being the backbone and financial nerve center/hub of any teaching hospital plays a vital role in ensuring accountability, transparency and good decision making by the hospital and other stakeholders.
Financial decisions are not seen merely from the point of view of cash inflow or outflow but also from their impact on the asset and liability position of the hospital.
Finally, the department always ensures that the hospital decisions are efficient, effective and economic.
