Eye care service provider Strong Eye Care has clarified that only one of its branches in Kumasi was affected by recent enforcement action from the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HEFRA), rejecting media reports suggesting the entire company had been shut down for licensing violations.
In a statement signed by Dr. Isaac Fuachie Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of Strong Eye Care, the company confirmed that its Aboabo branch in Kumasi is the only facility currently engaging HEFRA to resolve licensing matters. The clarification comes after Strong Eye Care appeared on the list of 18 health facilities closed during HEFRA’s two day compliance inspection in the Ashanti Region.
The company emphasized that its Anloga Junction branch remains fully licensed by HEFRA with no compliance issues. Strong Eye Care has submitted valid HEFRA license documentation for the Anloga Junction branch as proof of regulatory compliance and urged media outlets to correct reports that suggested all its operations had been suspended.
Strong Eye Care said it remains committed to providing quality, regulated eye care services across its branches and is cooperating with HEFRA to ensure full compliance with regulatory requirements at all locations. The statement reflects growing concerns among healthcare providers about potential reputational damage from the ongoing nationwide enforcement exercise.
HEFRA closed 18 health facilities in the Ashanti Region during a two day exercise last week, including prominent institutions like the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Clinic, RASHBILL Eyecare, SAMRID Eye Clinic, and Radiant Eyen. The facilities were found to be either operating without valid licenses or failing to meet minimum operational standards required by law.
The KMA Clinic, which had operated for years without a valid license, was temporarily closed on October 14 but reopened the following day after resolving licensing discrepancies with HEFRA. The swift resolution demonstrates that facilities can restore operations quickly once compliance issues are addressed.
HEFRA’s Public Relations Officer, Christabel Ayiram, stated that over 200 health facilities in the Ashanti Region risk closure for operating without proper authorization. The agency has made clear that no unlicensed facility will be spared, regardless of how long it has been operating or its perceived importance to the community.
The enforcement drive follows the closure of eight non compliant health facilities in Greater Accra Region and represents part of HEFRA’s mission to reset health regulation nationwide. Acting Registrar Dr. Winfred Korletey Baah described the operation as necessary to shield the public from dangerous practices and emphasized that grossly inadequate infrastructure and unlicensed practitioners pose direct risks to patient safety.
Among the facilities closed on Monday, October 13, were RASHBILL Eyecare, ANKHOR Diagnostics, Guinness Ghana Clinic (which hadn’t renewed its license since 2019), Allen Urological and Surgical Centre, Florence’s Maternity Home, Exquisite Medical Imaging and Health Centre, Paradise Clinic, and Michmit Clinic and Maternity Home.
On Tuesday, October 14, additional closures included the KMA Clinic, SAMRID Eye Clinic (operating unlicensed since 2021), Strong Eye Care, Radiant Eyen, and Daniscan Diagnostic Centre. The diversity of affected facilities, ranging from maternity homes to diagnostic centers and eye care clinics, illustrates the widespread nature of non compliance across the healthcare sector.
HEFRA Head of Public Relations Christabel Eyram Nuhoho told media that the agency is mandated by law to regulate all public and private health facilities in the country. She acknowledged that HEFRA doesn’t take pleasure in closing facilities since they provide essential services to society, but stressed that patient safety must take priority over operational convenience.
HEFRA is offering a short window for operators to regularize their activities, with a dedicated inspection team on standby at the agency’s Adum office in Kumasi to fast track the licensing process during this special exercise. Facilities that meet requirements after inspection can reopen immediately, but those found operating without attempting to comply face continued closure and potential legal sanctions.
Dr. Baah warned that persons who own or operate unlicensed facilities, or fail to renew licenses, commit offenses under Section 23 of the Health Institutions and Facilities Act, 2011 (Act 829). Persistent offenders who refuse to regularize their operations face prosecution, with cases being transferred to law enforcement for court action and prescribed penalty fines.
The crackdown has exposed significant gaps in healthcare regulation. Some facilities like Guinness Ghana Clinic and Florence’s Maternity Home had operated without licenses since 2019, while others never registered with HEFRA at all. HEFRA even discovered two unlicensed eye test clinics near the DVLA office in Oforikrom that were conducting vision tests for driver’s license applicants without proper accreditation.
HEFRA currently maintains offices in only nine of Ghana’s fifteen regions, with operational vehicles available in just four. This limited presence has historically made comprehensive monitoring difficult, allowing unlicensed facilities to operate with minimal oversight. However, Nuhoho stressed that limited personnel, logistics, and regional presence will not stop the current crackdown.
The enforcement exercise continues in other regions, with the Greater Accra Region recording 23 facility closures last week and three more on Monday. HEFRA inspection teams are set to move into the Volta Region and Eastern Region, with other teams deploying to remaining regions simultaneously to ensure comprehensive national coverage.
For Strong Eye Care and other affected facilities, the priority now is demonstrating full regulatory compliance to restore public confidence. The company’s swift clarification and submission of valid licensing documentation for its Anloga Junction branch shows awareness that reputational damage can extend beyond physical closures if compliance status remains unclear.
Healthcare providers across Ghana face a clear choice: obtain proper licensing immediately or face closure and potential legal action. HEFRA has made evident that the days of operating outside regulatory frameworks have ended, regardless of how established or well known a facility may be.
