The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) has closed down 17 health facilities across Ghana for operating with expired licences or under unsafe conditions that pose risks to public health.

The closures, according to the agency, form part of a nationwide inspection exercise aimed at identifying and eliminating health facilities operating without proper authorisation or valid documentation.

Addressing the media, Dr. Winfred Baah, Chief Executive Officer of HeFRA, said the move was necessary to safeguard patients and ensure that only qualified and compliant facilities operate within Ghana’s healthcare system.

“Some of the facilities have been particularly recalcitrant. They have failed to pay administrative fines or renew their licences.

Once a facility is unlicensed, we cannot vouch for the competence of its personnel or the safety of its equipment,” Dr. Baah stated.

He explained that such negligence endangers the lives of patients, leaving the agency with no option but to take decisive regulatory action.

Dr. Baah added that HeFRA is currently undergoing an internal restructuring to strengthen its capacity and ensure more efficient oversight of health facilities nationwide.

“We are resetting the agency to better position ourselves to deliver on our mandate of regulating health facilities effectively,” he said.

The HeFRA CEO reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to upholding high standards of healthcare delivery and urged all health facility operators to comply with licensing and safety regulations to avoid sanctions.

He emphasised that maintaining proper standards is essential to protecting the health and trust of the Ghanaian public.