The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) says its recent nationwide crackdown on unlicensed and substandard health facilities is aimed at protecting the lives of patients and ensuring that only qualified and well-equipped institutions operate in Ghana’s health sector.
Speaking on Business Edge on Metro TV, the Registrar of HeFRA, Dr. Winfred Korletey Baah, said the agency’s actions are fully backed by law and driven by public safety concerns, not bureaucracy.
“Our mandate, according to the Health Institutions and Facilities Act, 2011 (Act 829), is to inspect, license and monitor all health facilities, both public and private,” he explained.
“The goal is to make sure they provide safe and quality healthcare to everyone living in Ghana.”
Dr. Baah revealed that HeFRA has uncovered worrying practices among some private health facilities that try to deceive inspectors.
“During our monitoring, we realised that some facilities go and rent equipment when they hear we’re coming for inspection,” he said.
“Once we’re done, they send them back. That’s why we’ve introduced unannounced visits and that has yielded results,” he said.
He said the surprise inspections have exposed facilities operating without the minimum standards required for human safety.
“Some of them were not even fit for human beings to be in,” he stated.
According to Dr. Baah, HeFRA has the legal power to impose fines, shut down facilities, or even take operators to court depending on the severity of their violations.
“If you operate with an expired licence or without one, you’re not under regulation,” he explained.
“And if you’re not under regulation, we can’t be sure the services you provide are safe. So we can fine you, close you down temporarily or permanently, or send you to court if there’s a criminal element.”
HeFRA’s licensing process, Dr. Baah noted, is intentionally rigorous because it deals with human life.
Applicants must prove that their buildings are safe, their personnel are qualified and licensed, and that they have proper fire and waste management systems in place.
“If you tell me you are a clinic and you don’t have a medical doctor, we will not give you a licence,” he said.
“If you are a diagnostic centre and you don’t have a radiologist, you won’t get it.”
Facilities are also required to provide a block plan showing emergency exits, ensure disability access, obtain a fire certificate, secure environmental clearance from the EPA, and present a waste disposal plan.
He added that applicants must show financial stability by submitting a letter from their bank.
“If you set up a clinic and you don’t have enough money to even purchase oxygen for the next month, how do we take you seriously?” he asked.
Responding to suggestions that HeFRA’s many requirements make it too difficult for new facilities to enter the sector, Dr. Baah was firm that safety cannot be compromised for convenience.
“This healthcare we’re talking about involves human life,” he said.
“When one life is lost, there’s nothing you can do to bring it back. So it’s important we make the entry strict. It’s for everybody’s good.”
Dr. Baah said the agency is stepping up enforcement across the country, including ensuring that all facilities become disability-friendly – a provision that has long existed but not been actively enforced.
“We are enforcing it now,” he said.
“Before we give you a licence, you must show us that if someone with a disability comes, they’ll be able to access your facility easily.”
He noted that HeFRA’s ongoing operations are meant to protect the public, not frustrate health entrepreneurs.
“We’re there to protect the public,” he said.
Source: metrotvonline.com
