The annual Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX 2025), organised by the United States Army Southern Europe Task Force-Africa, is underway in Ghana.
Activities are ongoing at the 37 Military Hospital, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) Veterinary Clinic, and the Ghana National Dog Academy in Accra.
The exercise, which began on May 5 and is expected to end on May 23, involves 27 U.S. medical professionals specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, trauma and general surgery, critical care, dentistry, and veterinary services.
The U.S. medical personnel, drawn from the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Public Health Command-Europe, Dental Health Activity Rheinland-Pfalz, and the North Dakota National Guard, are working alongside GAF medical professionals at the three locations.
MEDREX 2025 forms part of Exercise African Lion 2025, the U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual combined joint military exercise, hosted by Ghana for the fourth consecutive time.
The focus is on joint planning, medical readiness, and military intelligence integration, to prepare U.S. personnel to deliver care outside traditional clinical settings alongside their Ghanaian counterparts.
The exercise aims to enhance skills in delivering rapid, adaptable, and resource-efficient medical care in support of large-scale combat operations.
At a media briefing held at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, 37 Military Hospital, and moderated by Mr Matthew Asada, Press Attaché at the U.S. Embassy, U.S. medical team members shared their experiences and lessons learnt.
“As a trauma surgeon, I have come to realise that there is no one way of doing things. I have learnt new ways of doing things in different environments with limited resources,” said Lieutenant Colonel Mary Stuever, Trauma Surgeon and Critical Care Specialist.
When asked if she would volunteer again, she affirmed her commitment to return and learn more from her Ghanaian military medical counterparts.
Sergeant First Class Albert Kwadwo Nimako, a Combat Medic, expressed his desire to give back to his home country, Ghana, and to learn how to adapt and operate effectively in resource-limited medical environments to “sustain life.”
Since its inception on May 5, MEDREX 2025 has served as a platform for U.S. military humanitarian assistance and medical civic action programmes in Africa.
This year’s exercise also featured joint security cooperation operations, held between May 8 and 16 in Kumbungu and Tamale.
GNA