The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), led by Registrar Dr. Winfred Korletey Baah, is actively working to regulate and improve healthcare standards across Ghana. During an appearance on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, December 3, Dr. Baah highlighted significant challenges and outlined the agency's future initiatives.

A central focus of HeFRA's operations has been the rigorous enforcement of licensing requirements, resulting in the shutdown of 96 health facilities nationwide. These closures were a direct outcome of facilities operating without valid licenses. Dr. Baah noted that approximately 80% of these facilities were entirely unlicensed, while the remaining 20% operated with expired licenses, both constituting a breach of the law. The closures spanned multiple regions, including Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Bono, and Ahafo, with the Ashanti Region recording the highest number. This decisive action underscores HeFRA’s commitment to upholding national licensing standards, safeguarding patient well-being, and maintaining quality healthcare delivery. The Registrar’s revelations also highlight a worrying prevalence of non-compliance in the health sector, prompting HeFRA to intensify monitoring and compliance checks to curb illegal operations.

Dr. Baah acknowledged the challenge of accurately determining the number of unregistered health facilities, as many operate beyond the agency's oversight. A recent enforcement exercise revealed that about 70% of the closed facilities had never been registered with HeFRA, suggesting a potentially vast shadow healthcare system. This widespread non-compliance poses substantial risks to public health and safety. In response, HeFRA plans to escalate its enforcement efforts, with Dr. Baah warning that from next year, the agency will aggressively pursue all unregistered facilities, reinforcing the government’s dedication to ensuring healthcare services meet stringent standards and that patients receive care from legitimately licensed providers.

Looking forward, HeFRA will introduce a transformative star rating system for health facilities nationwide starting next year. This initiative aims to elevate the quality of care and boost public trust in healthcare services. Dr. Baah explained that the existing system, while useful for categorizing facilities by type and level—such as CHPS compounds, health centres, clinics, polyclinics, and hospitals—falls short in evaluating actual quality of patient care. The new star rating system will address this gap by focusing on standards of care, including patient treatment protocols, adherence to procedural guidelines, and maintenance of safety and hygiene standards.

HeFRA anticipates that the star ratings will foster healthy competition among facilities, incentivize continuous improvement, and provide the public with transparent information to make informed healthcare decisions. The agency affirms its readiness for the system's rollout and pledges to collaborate closely with all facilities to ensure smooth implementation.