The recent opening of the R625 million Gqeberha Military Base Hospital has marked another milestone in GVK-Siya Zama's decade-long contribution to healthcare infrastructure across South Africa.

Officially opened by Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga in August, the new facility will bring dedicated healthcare services closer to approximately 9,000 military personnel, veterans and their families across the Eastern Cape.

Over the past decade, that commitment has translated into healthcare reaching further into South African communities, particularly those that have historically had limited access to care. GVK-Siya Zama has delivered healthcare projects for public and private-sector clients across the country, ranging from community healthcare centres to large, modern facilities in some of the country's most remote areas.

"We have seen a steady increase in healthcare projects in line with the government's commitment to bring facilities to people, even in the most remote locations," says Dumisani Madi, Chairman of GVK-Siya Zama. "This has included specialist modern facilities down to much-needed community healthcare centres."

Among the company's most significant current projects are the Zithulele, Madwaleni and Sipetu hospitals in the Eastern Cape. These large-scale facilities include specialist infrastructure such as emergency wards, operating theatres and tuberculosis units. At Sipetu, a sprawling, fully-fledged hospital built in a remote rural setting has become the centre of a whole community that has grown up around it.

At Zithulele District Hospital in Mqanduli, GVK-Siya Zama is upgrading the existing hospital and constructing a new main hospital complex and staff accommodation. The completed facility will include 157 dedicated inpatient beds, a 24-hour emergency unit, maternity and paediatric care, an infectious diseases unit and upgraded electrical and sewer infrastructure.

Remote projects bring added challenges, including poor roads, long distances from suppliers and limited access to skilled labour, water, electricity and accommodation. In some areas, GVK-Siya Zama has built dedicated accommodation for maternity patients ahead of admission, a response to the high infant mortality rates caused by patients travelling long distances to reach medical facilities.

"These hospitals become focal points within their communities," says Madi. "During construction, they create jobs, training opportunities and demand for local suppliers. Once operational, they strengthen access to care and support wider social and economic development."

GVK-Siya Zama's healthcare portfolio also includes the recently completed Cardiac Theatre Complex and 10-bed Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Ahmed Al-Kadi Private Hospital in Durban, as well as structural reinstatement and fire-safety work at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.

Healthcare facilities present a different order of complexity to other builds. Mechanical, electrical, medical gas and IT systems must work together reliably, often in live environments where hospital operations cannot be disrupted, and Department of Health regulations, which change from time to time, must be met before a facility can be approved to operate.

"That's been a steep learning curve for our teams," says Madi. "But with some 80-plus projects valued at more than R8 billion over the last decade, we've built considerable institutional knowledge about the requirements of a range of public and private-sector clients."

Looking ahead, Madi says the industry's priority must be to protect that knowledge. "Retain, nurture and develop experienced staff so the skills to build these specialist facilities aren't lost. Transfer skills. Build well. Build on time, upskill local communities during the build process, and make our presence felt."