All Public Health Facilities To Register With Regulatory Body

All public health facilities and institutions across the nation would have to register and get licensed by the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) at the end of June, this year.

This is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the government and the Agency.

Mr. Mathew Yaw Kyeremeh, acting Registrar of the Agency, announced this at a sensitization workshop organized in Kumasi by the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) for allied health professionals in the Ashanti Region.

It was meant to provide them with sufficient insight into the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act (Act 857), what was expected of them and to address some of the concerns associated with their professional practice.

Mr. Kyeremeh said the Agency was working to ensure that basic standards were set in all health facilities.

He added that it was not only the private facilities but those of public also needed external regulation so that they operated and worked properly.

He said to achieve effectively discharge its mandate, it would establish strong presence – open offices in all the regional capitals to bring its services closer to stakeholders.

Additionally, it was working to get an efficient online registration platform to allow for easy and smooth registration.

Dr. Samuel Yaw Opoku, acting Registrar of the AHPC, said the Council had been mandated to regulate, monitor and standardize training and professional practice of all the 18 professions currently recognized by the law.

He spoke of collaborating with the key stakeholders on the establishment of the Ghana College of Allied Health for fellowship programmes to boost professional competence.

Dr. Opoku announced that three zonal offices were going to be opened in Kumasi, Tamale and Sekondi to bring its work closer to the practitioners.

He called for the Health Ministry to adequately resource the Council to enable it to perform.

Source: GNA