Plunket operations manager for Otago-Southland Barb Long said fundraising last year had resulted in $28,000 for the service, which will be available through Plunket's family centre on Macandrew Rd from the end of next month.
The money, raised through the Zonta Club of Metropolitan Dunedin fashion show ($18,000) and a donation of $10,000 from the AMP Community Fundraising programme, would be enough to fund the service one day a week for the next two years, Ms Long said.
The service will be for Plunket clients and referrals are expected to come through Plunket nurses or midwives.
A more comprehensive service which would have cost $140,000, funded through the Otago District Health Board, should have gone ahead in 2007.
The Plunket Society had been identified as the preferred provider for this service but was advised last May the board would not be funding it.
The board has been criticised for its stance on this and for pulling back from funding other planned community mental health services because of concerns about their long-term funding.
The board's view was that under population-based funding, planned new services would not attract enough funding to sustain them.
This issue has yet to be resolved with the Ministry of Health.
Ms Long said the service which would be provided would have a programme to work with women and their families for a limited time.
Baby massage sessions and parent education would also be part of the service.
If the service was swamped by the demand it would work in with other health providers, such as primary health organisations, to see what they could offer .
"We'll just have to take it as it comes."
While Plunket had not had a formal service for women with post-natal depression, "we've always done a little bit, in reality".
Ms Long said she already had a staff member trained to undertake the work.
That had been done in anticipation of the contract for the district health board service.
She hoped that by the end of the two years of the limited service, there would be a solution to the funding issues affecting the original proposal.
Post-natal depression is estimated to affect about 160 women seen by Plunket in Dunedin each year.
