Twenty-five medical personnel from the United States, together with their counterparts from the Ghana Armed Forces, are undertaking a joint Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX) at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra to strengthen clinical skills and improve operational readiness.
The exercise, which forms part of African Lion 2026, started from April 20 to May 8 and focuses on enhancing collaboration between the two countries’ military health systems.
The US team includes personnel from Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre, Dental Health Activity Rheinland Pfalz and the North Dakota National Guard, working side by side with Ghanaian professionals to deliver patient care while exchanging expertise.
The joint teams are covering a wide range of specialities, including obstetrics and gynaecology, trauma and general surgery, intensive care, anaesthesia, emergency medicine and dental services.
The exercise is led by the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and is designed to prepare military health professionals to operate effectively outside traditional clinical settings, especially in resource-constrained environments.
Impactful exercise
Speaking during a media engagement session in Accra last Wednesday, the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of MEDREX 2026, Master Sergeant Tatiana Mason, described this year’s exercise as impactful for both US and Ghanaian personnel.
“This year’s experience has been absolutely powerful, not just for myself but for our Ghanaian counterparts,” she said.
She noted that the inclusion of a broader mix of specialities, including biomedical support and orthopaedic surgery, had strengthened the scope of care and training delivered during the exercise.
Master Sgt Mason explained that the programme, which began in 2014, continued to build medical readiness by exposing personnel to cases they might not encounter in their home environments.
“We see a lot of trauma here at the 37 Military Hospital that we are not often exposed to back at our home stations, and that has helped enhance our medical capabilities,” she said.
She added that beyond clinical skills, the exercise had strengthened professional relationships between the two forces.
“For me personally, it’s been the relationship building with our Ghanaian counterparts and US forces. This time, the integration was smoother, and we were welcomed with open arms,” she said.
On knowledge sharing, she said participants maximised the limited duration of the exercise through better planning and coordination.
She expressed hope that the programme would continue, noting that discussions were ongoing about future editions of MEDREX.
Growing partnership
The acting Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy, Matthew Asada, said the initiative reflected the growing partnership between Ghana and the United States.
He said the collaboration had expanded over time, improving both expertise and coordination among participants.
“I was also here last year, and to see the growth in the specialists and the provision and the cooperation has been very exciting,” he added.
Mr Asada emphasised that knowledge sharing remained central to the partnership, noting that joint exercises enhanced interoperability between the two countries.
“Knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer are at the heart of everything that we do as partners here in Ghana,” he said.
