HeFRA shuts down 17 unlicensed health facilities nationwide

The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) has shut down 17 health facilities nationwide due to their operation with expired licences or under unsafe conditions that are considered unsuitable for healthcare delivery.

As stated by the agency, these closures are part of a comprehensive inspection initiative aimed at eliminating facilities that operate without the required authorisation or proper documentation.

In a media briefing, the Chief Executive Officer of HeFRA, Dr Winfred Baah, stated that this measure was implemented to safeguard public health and ensure that only qualified and compliant facilities are permitted to operate within Ghana’s healthcare framework.

“A few of the facilities have been very recalcitrant. They have not paid their administrative fines and have also failed to take steps to renew their licences. Once a facility is unlicensed, we cannot be certain about the competence of the personnel or the safety of the equipment used to provide care to patients,” Dr. Baah explained.

He further noted that such deficiencies present significant risks to public safety, compelling the agency to close down non-compliant facilities.

“When that happens, we must intervene and close them down. HeFRA is undergoing a reset to better position ourselves to fulfil our mandate of regulating health facilities effectively,” he said.

Dr. Baah reiterated the agency’s dedication to upholding high standards in healthcare delivery and urged all operators to adhere to licensing and regulatory requirements to prevent penalties.