The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has banned the charging of fees for restroom access in all public healthcare facilities, condemning the practice as exploitative and incompatible with patient welfare.
The directive, announced April 16, 2025, follows widespread reports of patients and visitors being forced to pay for using hospital washrooms a policy the agency called “unacceptable” in a statement signed by Acting Director-General Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea.
“Washrooms are an integral part of hospital infrastructure designed to ensure comfort and dignity for patients and visitors. They must not be turned into revenue streams,” Akoriyea emphasized. He underscored the necessity of maintaining hygienic, freely accessible facilities to curb infection risks and enhance perceptions of care quality.
Regional health directors have been ordered to enforce the ban immediately, with facility heads facing disciplinary action for noncompliance. “Failure to adhere will attract sanctions,” Akoriyea warned, urging administrators to prioritize equitable access and sanitation standards.
The move aligns with broader efforts to address systemic gaps in Ghana’s public health system, where underfunding and resource constraints often lead to ad hoc user fees for basic services. While the GHS did not specify how the policy will be funded, the directive signals a commitment to upholding patient rights amid rising public frustration over informal charges.
Public health advocates have long argued that access to sanitation is a fundamental component of healthcare, not a privilege. The World Health Organization identifies clean water and hygiene facilities as critical to preventing hospital-acquired infections, which disproportionately affect low-resource settings. Ghana’s ban echoes similar reforms in countries like Kenya and India, where courts have ruled that denying free toilet access violates human rights.
Yet challenges remain. Enforcement will depend on improved oversight and budgetary support to ensure hospitals can maintain facilities without resorting to covert fees. For now, the policy marks a step toward redefining dignity in public health one restroom at a time.
