Accra has good doctors. It also has long queues, uneven drug supply and an ambulance service that cannot always reach you quickly.
The time to work out where you would go is now, not at 2am with a fever.
In an emergency
112 — national emergency number 193 — National Ambulance Service 191 — Police 192 — Fire Service
Do not assume an ambulance is the fastest option
Ambulance availability and response times in Accra vary a great deal by area and by hour. In many situations a taxi or a private car to the nearest emergency department is faster, and it is what most Accra residents actually do. Know your nearest hospital and how to get there.
Save the number of a nearby hospital in your phone, and know the route.
Public hospitals
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital — the largest hospital in Ghana and the main tertiary referral centre for the south. Specialist units for almost everything, including the National Cardiothoracic Centre. Enormous volumes, long waits, and the place complex cases end up.
37 Military Hospital — well regarded, open to civilians, and generally better organised than its size suggests. Its emergency department has a strong reputation.
Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) — rebuilt and modernised, centrally located, and a good general option.
University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) — at Legon. Modern facilities, newer than most, and useful for the north-eastern side of the city.
Polyclinics and health centres — district-level facilities across Accra for routine care. Much shorter waits than the teaching hospitals for ordinary problems, and the right first stop for most things.
Public facilities accept NHIS. Bring your card and expect to queue.
Private hospitals and clinics
Shorter waits, reliable drug supply, and you pay for it — either through private insurance or in cash.
Nyaho Medical Centre — Airport Residential. One of the best-known private hospitals in Accra, broad specialist coverage.
The Bank Hospital — Cantonments. Modern, well equipped.
Lister Hospital — Airport Hills. Known particularly for fertility services alongside general care.
Trust Hospital — several branches across Accra, mid-range pricing.
Akai House Clinic, Family Health, and a large number of smaller private clinics across every neighbourhood.
Ask what a consultation costs before you are seen. Private pricing varies widely and is not always displayed.
Pharmacies
Pharmacies are everywhere and are the first stop for most minor problems. Ghanaian pharmacists are accessible and will advise.
Many medicines that require a prescription elsewhere are available over the counter here. That convenience cuts both ways — it also makes self-medication easy, including with antibiotics, which is a genuine driver of resistance.
Malaria rapid tests are sold at pharmacies, cost very little, and take fifteen minutes. Buy a couple to keep at home.
Use registered pharmacies. Look for the Pharmacy Council registration. Substandard and falsified medicines circulate in the region, particularly antimalarials. Do not buy medicine from a table, a hawker or a trotro.
Dentists, opticians, specialists
Private dental and optical practice in Accra is good and reasonably priced by international standards. Korle Bu has a dental school and clinic.
Specialist referral generally runs through a GP or a polyclinic, though private hospitals will often see you directly.
Mental health
Accra Psychiatric Hospital and Pantang Hospital are the main public psychiatric facilities. The Mental Health Authority oversees services nationally.
Private psychiatrists, psychologists and counsellors practise in Accra, and availability has improved considerably in recent years, though it remains concentrated in the private sector and in the city.
Stigma around mental illness remains a real barrier in Ghana, which is worth naming rather than pretending otherwise. Support exists, and asking for it is increasingly normal.
Paying
NHIS covers a broad benefit package at accredited facilities. It does not cover dialysis for chronic renal failure, most cancer treatment, or medicines off the NHIS list. Drug stockouts mean you are sometimes asked to buy from a pharmacy yourself.
Private insurance, often provided by employers, buys shorter queues and a choice of facility. Check what your policy covers — dependants, dental, optical, and the annual limit vary a great deal.
Cash is entirely normal at private facilities. Consultations are affordable by international standards; admissions and surgery are not.
Practical advice
- Go early. Public facility queues form before opening.
- Bring your Ghana Card and NHIS card, and your NHIS number written down.
- Bring someone if you can. Hospitals are easier to navigate with a second person, and Ghanaian practice assumes family will be present.
- Keep your own records. Test results, prescriptions, discharge summaries. Continuity of records across facilities is not reliable.
- Ask questions. The consultation may be brief. Write down what you want to ask before you go in.