The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) has closed down 17 health facilities across the country for operating without valid licences or under conditions deemed unsafe for healthcare delivery.

The closures follow a nationwide inspection exercise aimed at identifying and eliminating health facilities that are non-compliant with regulatory standards and lack proper authorisation.

Speaking at a press briefing, Dr. Winfred Baah, Chief Executive Officer of HeFRA, said the decision was necessary to safeguard public health and ensure only accredited facilities are allowed to operate within Ghana’s healthcare system.

“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 stressed that such lapses pose significant risks to patient safety, prompting the agency to act decisively.

“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 reaffirmed HeFRA’s commitment to upholding high standards in healthcare delivery and urged all healthcare facility operators to comply with the agency’s licensing and regulatory requirements to avoid sanctions.