The closure followed a nationwide inspection and monitoring exercise by the Council to enforce compliance in the allied health sector.
During the exercise, Mr Enock Oduro, an industrial laboratory technician, was arrested for allegedly practising as a scan and laboratory technician at Step to Christ Hospital, Mamprobi, without a valid professional licence.
Another technician, Mr Ransmond Adams of Abodwe Clinic, was directed to appear before the Council for providing services with an expired licence.
Professor Shirazu Issahaku, Registrar of the AHPC, said the exercise aimed to address violations of the Health Professions Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), including the employment of unlicensed personnel, expired licences, unsafe working environments, and failure to meet operational standards.
“We are not satisfied with what we have seen so far. We have visited about three facilities and virtually none meets the basic requirements for operating as a health facility,” he said.
On Alma Medical Laboratory, Prof Issahaku explained that the facility was operating without a valid licence and without qualified allied health professionals, in contravention of Act 857.
“The Council has therefore ordered the immediate shutdown of the facility until all regulatory requirements are fully met,” he said.
The inspection team also visited Pathologists Without Borders, Abodwe Clinic, Mamprobi Hospital, M&G Medical Diagnostic Centre, and Step to Christ Hospital.
Prof Issahaku said several facilities were found to have allied health professionals practising with expired licences, some of which had not been renewed for more than 15 years.
“In one facility, the person no longer even qualifies to hold a licence. He was issued one 15 years ago, never renewed it, and is still practising. That is a criminal offence,” he said.
At Mamprobi Hospital, the Council ordered the immediate closure of the X‑ray department after finding it was operating in an unsafe environment that posed radiation risks to patients.
The unit was also run by an unlicensed technician whose licence had expired more than 15 years ago.
Prof Issahaku said practising without prior registration attracts a custodial sentence of up to three years, while practising with an expired licence carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment.
He cautioned health facility owners against employing unqualified personnel, warning that offending facilities could face fines and closure.
“From now until December 31, 2026, we will be visiting every corner of this country. No facility that does not meet the required standards will be allowed to operate,” he said.
Prof Issahaku said that the Council would issue periodic updates as inspection findings are consolidated.
He urged the public to verify certification from the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency, request practitioners’ professional identification cards, and report suspected illegal healthcare practices to the appropriate authorities.
GNA
