{
  "id": 13151167,
  "title": "More staff needed to efficiently monitor mortuary facilities",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/more-staff-needed-to-efficiently-monitor-mortuary-facilities",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-09T15:57:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GBC Ghana",
    "slug": "gbc-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/news/health/more-staff-needed-to-efficiently-monitor-mortuary-facilities/2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA) has requested more personnel to improve oversight of mortuary facilities nationwide. Challenges with personnel availability, overcrowding in facilities, occupational standards, safety, and professional competence of attendants were among the issues discussed at a Public Accounts Committee hearing on October 9, 2026. Currently, the agency employs about 22 staff members to regulate over 200 facilities across the country, making effective monitoring of compliance with operational standards a challenge. Acting Deputy Registrar, Dr. Philip Sarpong, proposed increasing staff by at least 20 to support regional operations, which would be facilitated by the Ghana Health Service and the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency. The agency has established occupational health and safety protocols, including vaccination records, health and safety training, policies on post-exposure prophylaxis, staff health records, injury reports, and proper waste disposal procedures. The agency conducts monthly unannounced compliance visits but struggles to monitor the large number of facilities with its current staff. About 176 attendants have graduated from training programs this year, and the agency collaborates with universities to develop a curriculum for these programs. Committee members emphasized the need for minimum competency standards to prevent errors such as incorrect body identification and tagging, unauthorized releases, and poor record-keeping.",
  "summary": "By Abigail Kyeremah Owusu The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA) has appealed for additional staff to strengthen its nationwide monitoring of mortuary facilities. Challenges with the availability of personnel, concerns about overcrowding in mortuaries, coupled with challenges with occupational standards and safety, as well as the professional competence of mortuary attendants was…",
  "key_points": [
    "MoFFA seeks 20+ additional staff for nationwide mortuary monitoring",
    "Current 22 staff struggle to oversee 200+ facilities effectively",
    "Proposed increase to be supported by Ghana Health Service and Health Facilities Regulatory Agency"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}