Patients at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra can now access MRI scans free of charge, under a new diagnostic partnership between the hospital and HealthTech Ghana Limited.

Speaking on Asempa FM's Ekosiisen programme, Vivian Odarko Armah, Business Development Manager at HealthTech Ghana Limited, and Captain Jude Nunatey, Public Relations Officer at 37 Military Hospital, explained how patients can take advantage of the new service.

According to Ms Armah, any patient with a doctor's request form for an MRI qualifies for a scan.

Patients without a referral can register as outpatients at the hospital, where their details will be collected before they are directed to the MRI building to book.

She said scanning times vary depending on the area being examined, with a brain scan taking about 30 minutes, and up to an hour where contrast is required. Due to existing demand, patients are booked and given a scheduled date and time rather than being attended to immediately.

Ms Armah stressed that a medical request form from a doctor remains a requirement before any patient can be attended to.

On the equipment driving the service, Ms Armah said the MRI machine, supplied by HealthTech Ghana, is a Philips system that uses helium-free technology.

She explained that this makes the machine more reliable and efficient than conventional MRI systems, which rely on helium for their magnets, although she clarified that helium itself is not harmful.

Captain Nunatey said the hospital currently has one MRI machine in operation, alongside CT scan and X-ray services that were reintroduced earlier. He described the MRI as the latest addition to the hospital's diagnostic offering, with further expansion planned.

HealthTech Ghana Limited is a Ghanaian company that supplies hospital equipment, including dialysis machines and consumables, to hospitals and clinics nationwide.