The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) says the number of unregistered health facilities in the country remains difficult to determine because many operate outside its radar.

Dr Winfred Korletey Baah, Registrar of HeFRA, told Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, December 3, that a recent exercise revealed a troubling trend among health facilities.

“It’s difficult to know the number of facilities that are not registered because they are not on your radar. And so, until we go out and find them out, it’s difficult to say.

"But in fact, with the recent exercise we did, most of the facilities that were closed down, about 70% of them, were not registered with us,” he said.

HeFRA’s findings suggest that the number of unregistered facilities could be as high as those officially registered, posing significant risks to public health.

Dr Baah warned that starting next year, the agency would intensify efforts to identify and take action against all unregistered facilities.

“So it means that it is possible that as many as those who are registered, we have that number that is also not registered. But I want them to know from next year we’ll go after all of them,” he stated.

The agency’s renewed focus underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring that health services meet the required standards and that patients receive care from properly licensed facilities.