The Registrar of the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA), Francis Ennin, has confirmed the closure of three unlicensed mortuaries and funeral facilities in Ghana.
The facilities affected are the University of Ghana Mortuary at Legon, Princess Marie Louise Mortuary at the Children’s Hospital, and Ebenezer Funeral Home at Weija, Mile 11.
According to MoFFA, the closures followed violations including operating without a license, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), poor environmental and hygiene conditions, and the use of air conditioners instead of proper compressors.
The facilities were previously given a one-week ultimatum to regularize their operations but failed to comply.
In an interview with Adom News, Francis Ennin warned that the facilities now have two weeks to meet the required standards or face permanent closure. “You have just two weeks to do the needful, else it will be a total close down,” he stated.
Families are still allowed to collect bodies from the facilities, but the mortuaries are prohibited from accepting new ones. Ennin emphasized that the action aims to sanitize the system and protect public health.
“We are doing this to ensure that the facilities meet the required standards, and we will not hesitate to take further action if they fail to comply,” he added.
MoFFA, whose mandate is to license, control, and regulate facilities involved in the storage, transportation, and disposal of human remains, said it will continue enforcing regulations to ensure compliance.
The closure of these facilities forms part of MoFFA’s ongoing efforts to ensure that mortuaries and funeral homes in Ghana operate in a safe and hygienic environment, safeguarding the public from potential health risks.
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