Modern facility at Forest Hill to serve soldiers, families — and nearby communities
Gqeberha has a new military healthcare facility after Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga officially opened a hospital at the Forest Hill base on Thursday. The project, valued at R625 million, is intended to strengthen the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) health capacity in the Eastern Cape and to offer services to communities in need.
The hospital includes a modern diagnostic unit, radiology services, an on-site pharmacy and rehabilitation services, according to the Department of Defence. The facility is expected to reduce the need to transfer patients from the Eastern Cape to military hospitals in Cape Town or Pretoria.
- Location: Forest Hill military base, Gqeberha
- Cost: R625 million
- Key services: diagnostics, radiology, pharmacy, rehabilitation
SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya said the hospital will improve the lives of members of the defence force and their families. He said the new facility will save time and resources by treating personnel locally rather than referring them to hospitals in other provinces.
“Instead of sending someone to Cape Town or Pretoria, it means we are going to save in terms of dealing with problems here,” General Maphwanya said. “There is nothing more pleasing to a soldier than to know that when I’m in deployment, my family will be taken care of… and when I’m back home there’s a facility that will rehabilitate.”
Minister Motshekga framed the hospital’s opening as both a service to soldiers and an opportunity to support surrounding communities. She said the SANDF’s medical expertise can be used to reach rural areas where other government services are limited, subject to available resources.
“Indeed, for me is to serve the soldiers first, but also to use the expertise that are here at the defence force to reach out to communities where government is unable to reach rural areas and do the great work,” Motshekga said. “We continue to support soldiers, serve them with respect integrity… and where we can, resource permitting, we reach out to community sharing resources.”
Local impact and broader context
For Gqeberha residents, the hospital provides a closer point of access to specialised military medical care for SANDF personnel and their dependants stationed or living in the region. The presence of diagnostics and radiology on-site will reduce referrals and out-of-area transfers that previously placed pressure on families and on the defence budget.
The Department of Defence statement emphasised both clinical and rehabilitative capabilities. Rehabilitation services are particularly relevant for personnel injured during deployment or training, enabling continuity of care without long-distance travel.
| Service | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Diagnostics | Faster diagnosis, fewer transfers |
| Radiology | On-site imaging for injuries and conditions |
| On-site pharmacy | Immediate access to prescribed medication |
| Rehabilitation | Local recovery programmes for injured personnel |
While the facility is primarily for military personnel and their families, ministers and SANDF leadership have highlighted community outreach as a policy objective where resources allow. The extent and timeliness of community access will depend on operational policies yet to be published and on resource availability, the department said.
Officials also framed the project as part of a broader effort to ensure that national security personnel receive adequate healthcare, thereby supporting operational readiness. Local leaders and residents who stand to benefit from possible outreach will be watching how the hospital’s services are scheduled and prioritised.
The addition of this military hospital aligns with ongoing efforts across government to enhance healthcare infrastructure within provinces. For the Eastern Cape, which faces persistent service-delivery challenges in some rural areas, the SANDF’s stated willingness to share expertise could provide a supplementary source of care, depending on coordination with provincial health authorities.
The Department of Defence did not provide an implementation timetable for community outreach programmes at the hospital. Questions about staffing levels, patient referral pathways and the proportion of capacity available to non-military patients remain to be clarified.
For now, the Forest Hill hospital is operational as a military health facility and represents a significant capital investment in defence health services in Gqeberha and the wider Eastern Cape.
