The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency, MoFFA, has given unlicensed mortuary facilities in the Ashanti Region ten days to regularise their operations or face sanctions.

The directive follows an inspection exercise that uncovered challenges in occupational health and safety, infection prevention, and environmental sanitation at some facilities.

The inspection team of the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency says the exercise has exposed several lapses in the management of some mortuary facilities.

Among the concerns identified were poor infection-prevention practices, occupational health and safety challenges, and littering within and around some mortuary compounds.

“Most of the facilities had a lot of challenges regarding occupational health and safety, infection prevention, and also environmental safety.”

The Agency, however, commended facilities that were found to be complying with the required standards.

“Some of the facilities also did well. We commended them because they were putting infection prevention practices in place, and their environment was also on point.”

Facilities operating without the required licence have been given ten days to correct the identified deficiencies and regularise their operations.

“For other facilities that are yet to get a licence to operate, we are giving them ten days to work on it, regularise their actions and meet the requirements needed for them to get the licence to operate.”

The Agency says failure to comply within the stipulated period will attract legal action.

“For those who don't comply with the ten days that are given for them to regularise their actions, we would let the law take its course.”

According to MoFFA, offences under the relevant law could attract a penalty of up to six thousand penalty units, imprisonment for up to three years, or both, subject to the decision of the court.

The Agency has therefore urged all mortuary and funeral facility operators to comply with the required standards to protect public health and safety