37 Military Hospital

37 Military Hospital
Ministry of Health
Signpost at entrance
Geography
Location	Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana
Organisation
Care system	Public - Ghana Health Service
Services
Beds	400
History
Founded	1941

The 37 Military Hospital is a specialist hospital located in Accra, on the main road between Kotoka International Airport and central Accra. It is the largest military hospital in the Republic of Ghana after the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The name of the hospital is mostly used to refer to the community in which it resides. (The name 37 was because it was the 37th military hospital to be built in the British colony of West Africa)The hospital is also known for the story of the bats who never left their chief.

The hospital was originally established in 1941 by a British military officer, General George Giffard, as a military hospital to provide treatment for troops injured in the Second World War. At the same time, Giffard also arranged the creation of the 52 Military Hospital at Takoradi, although this was later relocated to India. The hospital's name at this time was No. 37 General Hospital; it was changed to 37 Military Hospital of the Gold Coast in 1956. The hospital was later expanded and opened to the public, although the hospital continues to be staffed primarily by military personnel. In 2011, during a national strike by doctors in public hospitals, the Ministry of Health donated GH ¢230,000 of medical supplies to the hospital to enable it to continue treating an increased number of patients. During this 19-day strike, the number of patients admitted to the hospital doubled.

In the aftermath of the 2015 Accra explosion amid the 2015 Accra floods, so many bodies were taken to the hospital that the morgue was overwhelmed. The explosion killed over 150 people.

In total, the hospital has around 400 beds. It has a 24-hour accident and emergency department and pharmacy. Its x-ray facilities are also available 24 hours a day. Other departments include divisions for dental treatment, gynaecology, paediatrics and veterinary treatment. Its trauma department has been described by one travel guide as "the best in Accra".