Hospitals in Accra for families abroad: public, private, costs and emergency numbers

Which are the main hospitals in Accra?

Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is Ghana's national referral hospital, founded in 1923, and the Ministry of Health describes it as a 2,000-bed hospital.

Its board chair said in March 2026 that only about 1,500 of those beds were functional, and in the same month the Korle Bu Doctors Association said patients at the emergency unit were being treated on floors, in chairs and in hallways. The other large public hospitals are Ridge, 37 Military and UGMC, which the government has said will move from the Ministry of Health to the University of Ghana (July 2026).

What does a hospital visit cost in Accra?

Reporters checking Accra hospitals in 2025 were quoted GH₵80 to GH₵355 for registration or a first consultation without NHIS.

These are entry fees only: tests, medicines, procedures and admission are charged on top, and at hospitals that do not accept NHIS the family pays all of it. Ask for a written estimate before non-urgent treatment and keep every receipt.

Which number do you call in an emergency in Accra?

Dial 112 for an ambulance anywhere in Ghana; it became the single number for police, fire and ambulance in January 2020, replacing the old ambulance line 193.

In Greater Accra the National Ambulance Service attended 9,030 emergencies in 2024 with an average response time of 18 minutes 45 seconds, and the region had about one ambulance for every 132,000 people. Nationally, the service said in February 2026 that 127 of its 318 ambulances were grounded because the fleet is ageing.

Finding a bed can take longer than the ambulance. In February 2026 President Mahama told every health facility that no emergency patient may be turned away for lack of a bed, after a 29-year-old accident victim was reportedly refused at three Accra hospitals. A national command centre to send ambulances to hospitals with free beds was announced in March 2026, with no start date set.

• National emergency number: 112, on all mobile networks.
• Korle Bu Teaching Hospital contact number: +233 302 739 510.
• Keep the direct number of the hospital your relative would use, and ask whether it has its own ambulance.

How does the NHIS work at Accra hospitals?

An active NHIS card covers most consultation, medicine and test costs only at hospitals that accept it, and in Accra acceptance varies hospital by hospital.

The National Health Insurance Authority told reporters in 2025 that it has no mandate to compel any provider to operate under the scheme, and its own database listed UGMC and Bank Hospital as private health insurance only. What the scheme covers, what it costs and who is exempt are set out in our guide to healthcare in Ghana.

• Accepted in October 2025 checks: Ridge (consultation, medicines and many tests) and 37 Military, which has an NHIS office.
• Not accepted in the same checks: UGMC, Trust General Hospital in Osu and Bank Hospital.
• Korle Bu is NHIS-accredited, but its children's ICU services were not covered by NHIS in September 2025.
• Free Primary Healthcare, rolled out from 2026, covers basic care at CHPS compounds, health centres and polyclinics in 135 districts without an NHIS card, but not district, regional or teaching hospitals.
• Ghana's health minister said in April 2026 that patients referred to higher-level hospitals still need valid NHIS membership.

What about hospitals in Kumasi?

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Bantama is Kumasi's main public hospital, with 1,200 beds and a 24-hour accident and emergency unit.

KATH is a referral centre for 12 regions and briefly restricted new referrals to its emergency centre in early June 2026 because of congestion and a bed shortage, and had resumed admissions by 3 June. Its listed phone numbers are +233 593 830 400 and +233 556 490 029. The same checks apply as in Accra: confirm NHIS acceptance and fees before a visit.

Before your relative needs a hospital in Accra

Most of the work is done before an emergency: knowing which hospital, whether it takes NHIS, and who on the ground can go with your relative.

Ghana's Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), set up under the Health Institutions and Facilities Act 2011 (Act 829), licenses public and private health facilities and publishes a list of facilities with valid licences on its website. Kinship works in Nigeria today, with Ghana coming soon.

• Save 112 and the chosen hospital's direct number in your relative's phone and yours.
• Check their NHIS membership is active and renewed.
• Ask the nearest hospital whether it accepts NHIS for consultation, medicines and tests.
• Agree a first-choice and second-choice hospital for an emergency.
• Check any private clinic or hospital on HeFRA's list of licensed facilities.
• Keep a list of their conditions, medicines and allergies with their ID and NHIS card.
• Agree who in Accra can go with them and pay a deposit if one is asked for.
• Keep written estimates and receipts for every bill.

Questions people ask

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