Locals are rallying to the call to oppose the government’s announcement to build a scaled back Dunedin Hospital.

Wānaka resident Michael Sidey has proposed a protest march in support of the original Dunedin Hospital plans, starting at midday tomorrow (Saturday, September 28), meeting outside the Wānaka Fire Station and walking towards the town centre.

Health Action Wānaka (HAW) supports the march as well.

HAW said it was angry and disappointed to learn of the decision as the local community relied heavily on tertiary-level hospital services for specialist care which cannot be accessed locally. 

“We all know that the proven inequity that we face in our rural community will only be compounded by any downgrade to the new Dunedin Hospital,” HAW steering committee chair Monique Mayze said.

“The scope of the new Dunedin Hospital was based on the needs of a growing population in the Southern health district. Those needs have not changed.

“The funding and delivery of equitable health services is one of the most important functions of government. Therefore, it’s disappointing to see this government pitting our region against other regions, when all New Zealanders have a right to equitable access to health services irrespective of where they live,” she said.