The headline last June proclaimed a "$24.4 million boost for hospital".
Health Minister Tony Ryall had announced a funding injection which would transform Dunedin Hospital's outmoded neonatal intensive care unit and its acute mental health ward.
A few days later Southern District Health Board facilities and site development manager Warren Taylor was able to say that construction of the new acute mental-health ward at Wakari could begin in about eight weeks.
The plans had been ready for some time and all that was required was a final check of documents, tendering and resource consents. Neonatal unit staff were "excited" about the new unit, and mental-health staff were "rapt" to be able to get on with work that had been planned for such a long time.
Mr Ryall visited the mental-health ward and said it had been described by the Health Ministry as the "highest priority mental-health unit for replacement in the country".
And he noted the "extremely crowded" conditions and the lack of privacy in the neonatal unit.
Eight months on no money has been released and work has not started, in what looks very like a nonsensical bureaucratic tangle of Yes Minister proportions.
Mr Taylor, who must be frustrated beyond description, describes it as a "chicken and egg scenario". The $24.4 million will not be released until the design work is completed for the entire 16-project redevelopment, while the board cannot complete the final design work without the funding.
It needs that to engage the relevant architects and engineers.
But even if a way cannot be found through that particular impasse, funding was released long ago for the Wakari work.
Its design was completed last year, and it is independent of the neonatal and other central hospital infrastructure projects.
In any event, the neonatal work was scheduled well down the list.
Mr Ryall's response when asked for comment about the situation fails to deal with the issues, and he has not answered the question of why money for the acute mental health ward project could not be released first.
He said he had been advised the design work for the neonatal intensive-care unit was yet to be received.
Other funding matters were working their way through the system and he expected the paperwork and to sign them off soon.
"The money is safe and we're making sure the money is well spent."
Remember, though, that the mental-health unit's replacement was the most urgent in the country and that the plans were ready long ago.
Tenders were even sorted out by last September, leaving the board now anxious about possible cost escalations and contractor availability.
This episode is, to all appearances, an appalling example of bureaucratic incompetence.
Nothing happens, services to patients do not improve when they should, staff are discouraged and, no doubt, costs rise.
Adding to the debacle is the fact that, after initial delays, the Southern District Health Board then thought the money would be released as soon as the minister signed off its District Annual Plan.
That took place in November, but still there is no money.
There can perhaps be a little sympathy for delays in the main hospital work because so many of the projects are inter-related and complex juggling is required.
The hospital's site has been described as "gridlocked" and projects as requiring "Rubik's cube" movements to co-ordinate what needs to happen.
But there are no excuses for delays in the $3.6 million relocation of Dunedin Hospital's acute mental-health ward 1A to Wakari Hospital.
Board chairman Joe Butterfield is unable to shed light on the reasons for the delays.
Mr Taylor said he understood high-level talks were going on, and he hoped issues could be resolved.
We have to hope his stated optimism is well founded, and that the ridiculous delays are no more.
In the meantime, this "chicken and egg" situation is splattering egg on the faces of the ministry and the minister - and it is taking the edge off the good news and positive headlines of June last year.
