Chinese hospital ship Auspicious Ark at Tema Port: free medical outreach until 30 October - how to register

The Chinese PLA Navy hospital ship Auspicious Ark arrived at Tema Port on Friday 23 October for a seven-day humanitarian mission, and the Ghana Armed Forces Health Services says the public can register for free care.

By Ernest · 23 October 2026

Tema Harbour, where the hospital ship Auspicious Ark is docked. — Tema Harbour, where the Auspicious Ark docked on Friday. Photo: Ibrahim Achiri, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; adapted.

What is happening

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy hospital ship Auspicious Ark (Hull 868) arrived at Tema Port on Friday 23 October 2026, its first visit to Ghana, for a seven-day humanitarian medical mission under Mission Harmony 2026. The mission is scheduled to end on Friday 30 October. At the arrival ceremony, the Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command, Commodore Raymond Kyaano, welcomed the ship on behalf of the Chief of the Defence Staff; the mission commander is Rear Admiral Guan Bailin.

Free public outreach - and how to register

In announcements posted to the Ghana Armed Forces' official X account (@GhArmedForces, linked from the GAF website) and the Ghana Navy's LinkedIn account, the Ghana Armed Forces Health Services (GAFHS) says it is running a free medical outreach at Tema Port from 23 to 30 October 2026, open to members of the public, in collaboration with the ship's medical team. According to those posts, registration is required in advance:

Register at the Outpatient Department (OPD) of 37 Military Hospital in Accra, or at any Ghana Armed Forces Medical Centre or Medical Reception Station (MRS)
Enquiries: 0552629847 or 0204514334; 37milhosp.gov.gh

The posts encourage people to register early. Registration manages patient numbers, so arriving at the port without registering may not get you seen.

Services the organisers have announced

According to the organisers, the outreach is expected to offer general consultations, dental care, eye surgeries, maternal healthcare and traditional Chinese medicine. MyJoyOnline reports the ship is equipped with laboratory services, a dental clinic, gynaecology, ophthalmology, stomatology, surgical theatres and inpatient wards, and that outreach teams will also visit the China-Ghana Friendship Hospital. These are the organisers' announced services. The announcement does not guarantee treatment for any individual and does not specify eligibility criteria beyond the registration route above.

The entrance of 37 Military Hospital in Accra, one of the registration points. — 37 Military Hospital in Accra - register at its Outpatient Department. Photo: Flixtey, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; adapted.

If your family is in Tema or Accra

For diaspora readers: relatives near Tema can use the free outreach, but they need to register first through 37 Military Hospital or a GAF medical centre. Passing the registration phone numbers to family is the practical first step. The ship leaves on 30 October, so the window is short.

The container terminal at Tema, Ghana. — The container terminal at Tema. Photo: SteKrueBe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; adapted.

Sources: MyJoyOnline (arrival, dates, onboard facilities, officials), the GAFHS announcement as posted on the Ghana Navy LinkedIn account (outreach dates, free care, registration route and phone numbers; the same announcement is carried as this 14 October post on the GAF's official X account @GhArmedForces, which is linked from gafonline.mil.gh; the GAF also reported the arrival on its own site) and Ghana News Agency (arrival and free-services confirmation) and PAQ Media (announced services list), all retrieved 23 October 2026. This article is general information, not medical advice.