The Allied Health Professions Council has shut down six health facilities in the Ho Zonal Area after they were found to be operating without meeting basic regulatory and safety requirements.

The affected facilities are Grace Diagnostic Center, Eagles Lancet and Imaging Center, RD Access Laboratories, Elysa Diagnostic, Professional Eye Care and Bestlab Diagnostic.

Their closure followed compliance inspections conducted by the Council as part of efforts to ensure that allied health facilities operate in line with approved standards.

A key concern identified during the exercise was the absence of approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at several of the facilities.

The Council said the lack of documented protocols for service delivery and the operation of medical equipment creates serious concerns about the safety and quality of care patients receive.

Speaking to Citi FM, Registrar of the Allied Health Professions Council, Professor Issahaku Shirazu, said facilities that operate without proper SOPs put patients at risk because regulators cannot establish whether appropriate procedures and equipment are being used.

“We cannot guarantee patient safety because we don’t know what or which equipment you’re using,” he said.

Professor Shirazu said the Council would engage practitioners and support them to develop and implement the required protocols before they can meet the necessary regulatory standards.

He added that the compliance exercise forms part of broader efforts to strengthen oversight of allied health facilities and ensure safe and quality healthcare delivery.