The final bill for the completed partial upgrade of Dunedin and Wakari hospitals was slightly under budget, a Southern District Health Board committee heard yesterday.
The $24.38 million project included the new children's ward at Dunedin Hospital, officially opened by Prime Minister John Key this year, and a new acute mental health ward at Wakari Hospital, opened in 2012.
Board chairman Joe Butterfield told committee members such projects did not usually come in on budget.
That it did augured well for the bigger Dunedin Hospital rebuild now in its tentative stages.
The project was complex because services had to be moved around to allow various parts of the hospitals to be renovated.
Project design and management of the complex upgrade was kept in-house by the health board, rather than being outsourced to an external provider.
The $12,458 saving was ''testament'' to the successful management of the project by DHB staff, facilities and site development manager Warren Taylor says in his report to hospital committee members on the matter.
The committee resolved to recommend the board, which meets today, ask Health Minister Tony Ryall for the final equity draw down for the projects, $3.219 million.
