The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA) has closed down some public and private morgue facilities in the Ashanti Region for failing to meet required operational standards.
The affected facilities are located in the Asante Mampong, Effiduase and Juaben municipal areas.
The closures followed an inspection exercise by a MoFFA compliance team led by the Agency’s Acting Director, Mavis Twumwaa Appiah.
The team identified several lapses, including poorly maintained equipment, bodies being kept on floors and inadequate handwashing facilities for workers.
“Some of the basic challenges we found were unkempt tools and equipment. In some facilities, bodies were lying on the floor, and there were no proper areas for workers to wash their hands after work,” Mrs Appiah said.
The Agency also found that some of the facilities were operating without the required licences under the Health Institutions and Facilities Act, 2011 (Act 829).
Mrs Appiah said those facilities would remain closed until they meet the requirements and obtain the appropriate licences.
She explained that the enforcement action is intended to protect public health and reduce the risk of disease outbreaks in communities surrounding the facilities.
According to her, the affected operators had been informed about the required standards about two years ago but failed to take the necessary steps to comply.
“A letter was issued about two years ago to the morgue facilities in the Ashanti Region to provide the requirements they needed to meet our standards, but unfortunately, some of them failed to do so,” she said.
