Regulator cracks down on unlicensed allied health practitioners, substandard facilities

The Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) has begun an enforcement exercise to enforce adherence to regulations in the allied health services sector.

Consequently, the council has shut down a medical laboratory in Accra, halted specific services in some clinics, and referred serious cases of poor practices in medical facilities to law enforcement agencies.

These actions followed the identification of unqualified personnel, expired licences and unsafe diagnostic environments by monitoring teams, as the council commenced a nationwide inspection and monitoring exercise.

The exercise, which started in Accra last Tuesday, is part of the council's legal duty to safeguard public health and maintain professional benchmarks among allied health practitioners and facilities nationwide.

Situation

The Registrar of the council, Dr Shiraz Issahaku, told the Daily Graphic that the exercise had targeted unlicensed practices, expired professional credentials, unsafe working environments and breaches of approved scopes of practice.

He stressed that the council would not tolerate actions that placed public health at risk.

“We initiated this inspection to enforce accountability, protect patients and ensure that only qualified and duly licensed professionals deliver allied health services,” he said.

The registrar further urged practitioners and facility owners to cooperate fully with inspection teams and maintain up-to-date regulatory documentation, indicating that compliance strengthened service quality and public confidence.

Facilities

During an inspection in the Mamprobi area, the team shut down the laboratory and scanning units at Steps to Christ Hospital due to the absence of qualified professionals and appropriate equipment.

The team also identified an unqualified laboratory and scanning technician who lacked the requisite medical laboratory science background. The individual was subsequently handed over to the police for the necessary action.

The team further cited the presence of CCTV cameras in scan rooms as a breach of standards.

The inspectors also shut down Alma Medical Laboratory in Mamprobi after they discovered the facility had operated without qualified personnel and relied on an unlicensed sonographer, while using inadequate equipment. 

At the Abodwe Clinic, the AHPC team found that the facility operated under substandard laboratory conditions and lacked the complete documentation required to demonstrate compliance with approved standards.

The facility, it was further discovered, operated with a professional whose licence had remained unrenewed for nearly a decade.

The individual was asked to report to the AHPC within 24 hours to begin the due process.

The inspectors also cautioned the management of the Mamprobi Polyclinic after they found the X-ray and imaging facility below standard and poorly sealed, while operating with expired documentation dating back to 2023.

The team directed the management to suspend X-ray services until remedial actions were put in place, and cautioned the optometry unit after staff failed to display approved operational standards. 
 

Rationale

Dr Issahaku said the Council had acted under its statutory mandate to regulate allied health practice and safeguard professional standards nationwide.

The Registrar stated that facilities operating without authorisation had received directives to regularise their status, while operators who breached regulatory requirements faced sanctions under the Health Professions Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857).

“Our teams will also provide technical guidance where gaps exist, but persistent violations will attract enforcement actions,” he stated.