The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) has begun a large-scale enforcement operation in the Ashanti Region to close down more than 200 unlicensed health facilities operating without authorization.
The exercise, which started on Monday, October 13, 2025, forms part of a nationwide effort to sanitize the health sector and ensure patient safety.
The week-long operation targets various facilities, including dental clinics, private hospitals, maternity homes, and laboratories.
Health laboratory service providers who have failed to renew their operational licenses or have never registered with HeFRA are also being affected.
Speaking to the media during the exercise, Christabel Eyram, Head of the Public Relations Unit at HeFRA, expressed concern over the alarming number of unlicensed facilities providing healthcare services in the region.
“It will shock you to know that some dental facilities are operating without a professional dentist. When you question them, they tell stories like ‘I learned the practice from my grandmother,’” she revealed.
Ms. Eyram emphasized that operating a health facility without proper certification from HeFRA is illegal and poses serious risks to public health.
“You cannot operate a health facility without the regulator’s approval. We are in the Ashanti Region to sanitize the sector and protect patients and prospective patients,” she warned.
The HeFRA enforcement team is working in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service and other health authorities to ensure full compliance with national health regulations.
According to officials, facilities found operating without licenses will remain closed until they meet all regulatory requirements, while offenders could face prosecution.
HeFRA reiterated its commitment to upholding high standards of safety, hygiene, and professionalism across all healthcare facilities in Ghana to guarantee quality healthcare delivery.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh /Isaac Justices Bediako
