HeFRA closes Guinness Ghana Kumasi clinic for operating without valid license

The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) has shut down the corporate clinic of Guinness Ghana Limited at its Kumasi production plant for operating without a valid license — a breach that has persisted for six years despite repeated warnings from the regulatory authority.

According to officials from HeFRA, the closure follows a long-standing case of non-compliance by the multinational beverage company, which had consistently failed to renew its operational license since it expired in 2019.

The agency indicated that several reminders were issued to the company, but Guinness Ghana allegedly ignored them.

In a statement after the enforcement action, HeFRA disclosed that a formal reminder letter was sent to the company on May 19, 2025, demanding the renewal of the clinic’s operational license and the payment of an administrative fine imposed for earlier violations.

However, the company reportedly failed to respond within the stipulated period.

When HeFRA’s enforcement task force visited the site in Kumasi as part of a regional compliance operation, they were initially denied access by company security officials.

It took the intervention of police officers accompanying the team before HeFRA officials were allowed entry to inspect and subsequently shut down the facility.

A HeFRA official who spoke to the media described the situation as “a serious regulatory breach,” emphasizing that no organization, whether public or private, is above the law.

“The clinic has been operating without a valid license for years, which directly violates the Health Institutions and Facilities Act. Every health facility must be inspected and approved annually to ensure safety and professional standards,” the official stated.

The closure means the Guinness Ghana plant in Kumasi currently has no in-house medical facility to cater to staff health needs or workplace emergencies.

Until the company meets the necessary licensing and compliance requirements, it will have to rely on nearby hospitals and private clinics for emergency care and occupational health services.

This action forms part of a wider HeFRA initiative to sanitize the health sector in the Ashanti Region.