Labour leader Andrew Little made the announcement while talking about his party’s policies to back the regions and the people who live in them. Maniototo Health Services Ltd has already raised $2.4 million towards the Maniototo Hospital rebuild, and, with another $2million promised last month from the Maniototo Community Board, needed to find only another $1million to have enough to complete the project. Maniototo Health Services Ltd chairman Stuart Paterson called the announcement a pleasant surprise. Before the meeting Labour’s health spokesman David Clark said there was also concern Oamaru Hospital, particularly its emergency department, was inadequately funded. He said restoring funding to health services in the regions was a priority, especially in the wake of the news that future funding for the Lumsden Maternity Centre was still an unknown.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 13, 2017 18:11 UTC