Omanghana
The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency has closed several unlicensed and substandard mortuaries in the Ashanti Region as part of an intensified enforcement exercise.
The agency disclosed that 22 of the approximately 56 mortuary facilities operating in the region do not have valid licences.
The week-long inspection, led by MoFFA’s Acting Director, Mavis Twumwaa Appiah, covered both public and private facilities across the region.
Mortuaries in Asante Mampong, Effiduase and Juaben are among the facilities shut down during the operation.
According to the agency, inspections uncovered serious health and safety violations, including the absence of functional embalming machines, extractors and standard embalming trolleys.
Some mortuary attendants were also reportedly working without the required personal protective equipment, exposing them to significant occupational health risks.
Inspectors further identified poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene facilities, including the absence of dedicated handwashing stations at some of the premises.
The affected mortuaries have been prohibited from accepting new bodies until they address all identified deficiencies and receive clearance from the regulatory agency.
Operators must upgrade their facilities to meet the standards prescribed under the Health Institutions and Facilities Act, 2011 (Act 829), before applying for reassessment.
MoFFA said its compliance officers would reinspect the facilities to determine whether the necessary improvements had been completed before allowing them to resume operations.
Facilities that fail to correct the violations could face permanent closure and prosecution.
The exercise forms part of efforts to regulate mortuary operations, protect workers and ensure that human remains are handled under safe, hygienic and dignified conditions.
Source: Omanghana
