The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA) in Ghana has conducted a snap inspection of unlicensed mortuaries in the Ashanti Region, revealing troubling lapses in handling the dead. Inspectors found poor infection-prevention practices, occupational health and safety shortfalls, and littering in and around several mortuary compounds. The agency described the state of many facilities as concerning, with significant challenges in occupational health and safety, infection prevention, and environmental safety.
Not all facilities inspected fell short; MoFFA commended mortuaries meeting required standards, with proper infection-prevention measures and clean premises. However, operators of unlicensed facilities have been given ten days to correct deficiencies and take steps to regularise their operations and obtain a licence. Failure to comply within the ten-day window will result in consequences, with the matter being handed over to the appropriate legal process.
The inspection findings raise questions about which mortuaries are safe to use and which are operating outside the required legal and health standards. Poor infection control at mortuaries can pose risks to staff, grieving families, and the wider public, particularly in a country where large numbers of mourners gather for funeral rites. Environmental sanitation lapses, such as littering within mortuary compounds, add to concerns about hygiene standards.
Mortuaries handle sensitive public health work, storing and preparing bodies before burial. The Ashanti Region mortuaries, which have been found to have significant safety lapses, serve families who rely on these facilities to prepare loved ones for burial. MoFFA's move puts pressure on unlicensed operators to act quickly or risk losing the ability to operate altogether.
The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency is the state body responsible for regulating and licensing mortuary and funeral facilities in Ghana. The agency's mandate includes ensuring operators meet standards covering infection control, occupational safety, and environmental sanitation. MoFFA has urged all mortuary and funeral facility operators to meet the required standards to protect public health and safety.
It remains unclear how many facilities in the Ashanti Region are currently operating without a licence or how the agency plans to verify compliance once the deadline passes. The ten-day deadline set by MoFFA is the only timeline given in the agency's statement. MoFFA's inspection team found that most of the mortuaries visited had significant challenges regarding occupational health and safety, infection prevention, and environmental safety.
The agency has not specified further details on how enforcement will be carried out or which body will oversee compliance checks after the deadline lapses. However, MoFFA has indicated that it will ensure that all mortuary and funeral facility operators meet the required standards to safeguard public health. The inspection exercise and subsequent notice to unlicensed operators demonstrate the agency's commitment to enforcing regulations and protecting public health.
Key points
- Unlicensed mortuaries in Ashanti Region have 10 days to correct safety lapses or face sanctions.
- MoFFA found poor infection-prevention practices, occupational health and safety shortfalls, and littering in and around several mortuary compounds.
- The agency's move aims to protect public health and safety by ensuring mortuary and funeral facility operators meet required standards.
