Defence Minister opens new military hospital in Gqeberha – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga has opened a new military hospital at the Forest Hill base in Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape.

The R625 million facility will support the wellbeing of military personnel and their families, while strengthening the capacity of the military health system to provide quality and accessible healthcare services.

It consists of a modern diagnosis facility, radiology and on-site pharmacy and rehabilitation services.

Motshekga says the communities in need will also benefit from this development.

“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. We continue to support soldiers, serve them with respect integrity. If you can put your life on the line like police and soldiers, you deserve all the respect and integrity. If you can put your life on the line like police and soldiers, you deserve all the respect. We really service our soldiers to the best of our ability, and where we can, resource permitting, we reach out to community sharing resources,” says Motshekga.

SANDF Chief General, Rudzani Maphwanya, says the facility is going to improve the lives of members of the defence force and their families.

“I’ve got units around the Eastern Cape. Instead of sending someone to Cape Town or Pretoria, it means we are going to save in terms of dealing with problems here. There is nothing more pleasing to a soldier than to know that when I’m in deployment, my family will be taken care of, if I’m injured in deployment there are people that will look after me, and when I’m back home there’s a facility that will rehabilitate,” says Maphwanya.