The Chief Executive Officer of the Advanced Bodysculpt Centre, also known as the Obengfo Hospital, Dr. Dominic Obeng Andoh has been granted bail in the sum of GHS100, 000.
The owner of the private health facility, together with some two other private health practitioners were arrested on January 29, 2021, in a joint operation by the Health Facilities Regulatory Authority (HeFRA) and the police for practising without a license.
Speaking to Citi News, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, DSP Efia Tenge said, the three have been granted bail with Dr. Obeng Andoh’s docket in the process of being forwarded to the Attorney General for advice.
“He’s been granted a GHS 100,000 police enquiry bail. That day, HeFRA arrested two other people, so the court has granted all of them bail. The docket is in a process of being forwarded to the AG for advice,” she said.
It would be recalled that on January 29, 2021, a banter ensued between the health regulatory authority and management of the Bodysculpt Centre over its legibility to operate as a health facility.
Registrar of HeFRA, Dr. Philip Bannor who addressed the media after the facility was shut down for the umpteenth time noted, the decision was a very difficult one for him to take, but he was required to enforce the law.
“We have had to take this decision against a colleague who is working hard in his view to operate a private health facility. But for me as a regulator, I often describe myself to be having two hearts which includes enforcing the law and the other responsibility is also to offer information to proprietors and owners of health facilities and by that, I guide them as to how they can be in compliance with the law.”
Dr. Philip Bannor further insisted that the agency had given negligent health facilities a six-month grace period to right any wrong but some of them failed to utilize the opportunity given them.
“All the facilities that we are going to visit today have had six months to come in compliance with the law. Some of them we have had roundtable meetings with them on what to do but are compelled to make this difficult decision that we had to make.”