The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA) has explained that poor hygiene, inadequate protective equipment and unlicensed operations are part of the reasons for the shutdown of some mortuary facilities in the Ashanti Region.
Mavis Twumwaa Appiah, Acting Director for Compliance at MoFFA, disclosed that the agency encountered several facilities operating under conditions that fell below the standards required for the preservation and handling of human remains. According to her, some of the mortuaries inspected had deteriorated significantly, with human remains placed on floors and inadequate measures for maintaining proper hygiene and environmental sanitation.
“Some of the facilities, or most of the ones that were identified that were shut down, were in a dilapidated state. Human remains stored on the floor, bodies unkept, generally poor waste management, inadequate PPEs.”
Mavis Twumwaa Appiah
Directing attention to the licensing situation, Madam Appiah explained that compliance with the required regulatory framework remains a major component of the ongoing exercise across the region. The inspection is an enforcement process through which MoFFA is assessing facilities against requirements covering occupational health, environmental sanitation, worker protection and the proper handling of bodies.
“There were some draft of protection to safety, and also environmental sanitation. And most of the facilities were operating without a license.”
Mavis Twumwaa Appiah
Additionally, the Acting Director indicated that personnel working in mortuaries are expected to have appropriate protective equipment, particularly when undertaking embalming activities that expose them to potentially hazardous materials. She further outlined that facilities must possess the necessary permits and licences, including district-level approvals and relevant environmental authorisations, before they can operate.
Beyond the condition of the facilities, MoFFA is also examining whether workers have received appropriate training and whether chemicals used in the preservation of bodies are handled within the required standards. The exercise follows the agency’s broader regulatory mandate, with MoFFA having taken responsibility for oversight of mortuary and funeral facilities since its establishment in 2019.
Referencing the situation in the Ashanti Region, Madam Appiah noted that the agency has identified approximately 56 facilities, of which about 22 are currently licensed to operate. Rather than limiting the exercise to the facilities already closed, she indicated that compliance officers are moving from one mortuary to another to identify establishments that remain unlicensed or fail to meet the prescribed requirements.
MoFFA Gives Mortuaries One Month To Correct Deficiencies
The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA) has given affected mortuary facilities in the Ashanti Region at least one month to address deficiencies identified during its ongoing compliance inspections.
Mavis Twumwaa Appiah, Acting Director for Compliance at MoFFA, explained that the shutdown does not prevent families from collecting bodies already kept at the affected facilities, although the mortuaries cannot admit additional remains until they meet the required conditions.
Clarifying the arrangements for existing bodies, Madam Appiah noted that families can proceed with collection when they are ready, while new bodies must be directed to facilities that have the necessary authorisation to receive them. The distinction, she explained, is intended to allow families to complete funeral arrangements without disrupting the enforcement process being applied to the facilities themselves.
“Bodies that are still there, these can be discharged to the families at the time they want to pick up their bodies. But the facilities are rather not permitted to take new bodies.”
Mavis Twumwaa Appiah
On the period required for the affected establishments to regain approval, she indicated that operators have been given time to regularise their documentation and correct physical and operational deficiencies identified during inspection. The facilities will subsequently undergo another assessment to determine whether the recommendations issued by the inspection team have been implemented satisfactorily.
“We expect that we give the facilities at least a month to correct all their mistakes, and then we come back to see that whatever corrections that we need, or whatever recommendations that we made, they have complied with those recommendations.”
Mavis Twumwaa Appiah
Furthermore, the Acting Director stressed that the compliance exercise will not end with the current inspections in the Ashanti Region, as MoFFA intends to conduct regular monitoring to ensure facilities continue operating within the established requirements. On this, she explained that enforcement would be carried out periodically across facilities so that compliance does not become a one-time exercise followed by a return to poor practices.
The inspection requirements cover several areas, including the appropriate storage and handling of human remains, protective equipment for workers and environmental sanitation within mortuary premises. Facilities are also expected to maintain proper occupational health practices and secure the relevant regulatory documentation required for lawful operation.
Additionally, the agency expects workers involved in mortuary operations to have appropriate training, while chemicals used during embalming and preservation must be handled under the required conditions.
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