The Registrar of the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA), Dr. Yaw Twerefour, has disclosed that all mortuaries and funeral facilities across the country are currently operating without the necessary licensing regime mandated for their operations.

Dr. Yaw Twerefour, who assumed the position of Registrar and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MoFFA on May 2, 2023, made this significant disclosure during an exclusive interview with Asaase Radio on Monday, September 4, 2023.

Under the Health Institutions and Facilities Act, 2011 (Act 829), Section 43 empowers MoFFA to license mortuaries and funeral facilities throughout the nation. The section titled "License of Facility" unequivocally states, "A person shall not own or operate a facility unless that facility is licensed under this Part."

Dr. Twerefour emphasized the need for standardized licensing and inspection tools to ensure uniform standards across all mortuaries, irrespective of their ownership, be it government or private. He remarked, "Our licensing tools and inspection tools must be standardized so that what applies to one mortuary will apply to all mortuaries, no discrimination, the standards must be the same."

He further revealed, "We have engaged consultants from Korle-bu who are assisting us in developing these tools. We are in the final stages of this process. The tools that have been developed have already undergone testing in one of the prominent funeral facilities in Accra. However, we encountered some challenges, and we are currently fine-tuning the tools. Within the next two to three months, we will initiate the licensing process for mortuaries and funeral facilities in Accra."

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