New health centre and rest-home

West Otago residents will be asked to raise about $1.5 million to contribute towards the construction of a new rural health centre and rest-home facility, a public meeting in Tapanui heard last night.

The $5.9 million facility, to be built on the grounds of the former Tapanui Hospital, would include a 14-bed rest-home, primarily aimed at trying to retain the district's elderly residents in the town instead of forcing them to move to rest-home care facilities in larger centres.

In a presentation, West Otago Health chairman Brian Brennsell said Tapanui residents who needed a high level of care were having to leave the area, but he believed a local rest-home centre would enable more people to live in their community.

There were also greater efficiencies to be gained by centralising all health services into the one facility.

"The success of other community-owned rest-homes gives confidence that West Otago too can provide its own special service," he said.

The rest-home element of the health centre would provide four levels of care - rest-home, long-term hospital level care, dementia and psychogenetic care.

The health body researched statistics and consulted health agencies to reach the level of 14 beds, but Mr Brennsell said demand for these beds was predicted to rise over the next few years.

The meeting was told the entire project could cost close to $6 million, with the medical centre portion expected to cost between $2.25 million and $2.96 million while the rest-home facility would have a price tag of between $2.6 million and $2.97 million.

Mr Brennsell said the local community could be asked to raise about $1.5 million of the total cost.

The remainder of the funding would come from government agencies and other potential funders.

A feasibility study, commissioned by West Otago Health, said the area's changing demographics support the need for an integrated rural health centre, including an aged care facility.

Tapanui's former hospital closed in 1994 and the group wants to build the new facility on those grounds, which it now owns.

"The site within Tapanui provides an excellent location to build the purpose-built facility [in which] to base the integrated health service."

All existing buildings, except four unoccupied cottages, would be demolished to make way for the new health centre.

West Otago Health's annual meeting, held before the main presentation last night, heard it reported a modest surplus of $1847, compared to a $14,014 loss the previous financial year.