Ghana's first Helium-free MRI facility opens at 37 Military Hospital, offers free scans fom June 8-20

• 37 Military Hospital has launched Ghana's first helium-free MRI and Diagnostic Centre.

• Eligible patients can access free MRI scans from June 8 to June 20, 2026.

• Patients must be registered at the hospital and present a doctor's MRI request form to qualify.

Patients requiring MRI scans can now access Ghana's first helium-free Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facility following the launch of a new diagnostic centre at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

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The facility, established by HealthTech Ghana Limited in partnership with the Ministry of Defence under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, is expected to improve access to advanced diagnostic services while helping to address longstanding challenges in medical imaging in the country.

According to the Ghana Armed Forces, at the heart of the new centre is the Philips BlueSeal MRI, the first 1.5 Tesla helium-free MRI system to be installed in Ghana. The facility also offers CT scans, digital X-rays, mammography, ultrasound and a range of laboratory diagnostic services.

To mark the launch, the centre is offering free MRI scans to eligible patients from June 8 to June 20, 2026.

According to the organisers, patients seeking to benefit from the free MRI programme must first be registered at the 37 Military Hospital and obtain a completed MRI request form from a doctor.

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While the MRI scan itself will be free during the promotional period, patients will be required to pay a minimal fee (not specified) for MRI image reporting, which covers the interpretation of scan results by a radiology consultant or specialist.

To qualify for the free MRI scan:

• Register as a patient at the 37 Military Hospital.

• Visit a doctor and obtain an MRI request form.

• Present the completed request form at the new MRI and Diagnostic Centre.

• Book an appointment between June 8 and June 20, 2026.

• Pay the allocated fee and follow due procedure
  

The initiative would significantly improve access to MRI services, which have often been difficult and expensive for many Ghanaians to obtain.

The partnership also restores MRI services at the hospital and provides patients with access to a comprehensive diagnostic centre capable of supporting faster and more accurate diagnosis.

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The centre will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering diagnostic services for conditions including stroke, trauma injuries, cancer assessment and other complex medical conditions.