The SDHB is in the top five nationally for the number of vaccinations administered, having dispensed 153,995 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
However, the board is well down on the planned rate of vaccination it agreed with the Ministry of Health by this stage, at 88%.
Dr Bloomfield said despite that divergence from plan, he was still satisfied with the SDHB’s work.
‘‘It’s not just the numbers but the fact that they have been getting out into remote communities — this is probably the most rural DHB in terms of how far and beyond people have had to go.
‘‘The important thing is not just getting the numbers but getting a good geographic spread, and also across age groups and ethnicities.’’
Dr Bloomfield said vaccination plans were made several months ago to reflect what DHBs thought at the time they could achieve, but now the important thing was simply getting the vaccine out.
‘‘Southern’s rates in those respects compared to the rest of the country are very good ... the DHB is opening up quickly to all age groups so they can use all the capacity they have built up there and get those numbers back up to plan.’’
While in Dunedin yesterday, Dr Bloomfield attended several functions, and also took part in a ceremony where a memorandum of understanding was signed between the SDHB, Ministry of Health and mana whenua.
The three parties formally agreed to design, build and operate the new Dunedin Hospital as an inclusive facility.
‘‘Our ancestors were promised schools and hospitals,’’ Kati Huirapa Runaka ki Puketeraki chairman Matapura Ellison said.
‘‘They felt a sense of grievance when nothing eventuated ... but those have now been set aside and there is new hope and a new way forward.’’
The memorandum sets out that the new hospital will be built through an effective partnership around customary and intended use of the land and with cultural awareness.
All parties agreed there would be effective engagement with Ngai Tahu and other Maori groups, in an active partnership with mana whenua.
Dr Bloomfield said the memorandum was an important document.
‘‘It brings together the past, the present and the future and demonstrates our shared commitment and partnership.’’
SDHB chairman Pete Hodgson said the importance of events such as yesterday’s signing could only really be understood in retrospect, but he believed recent collaboration between the board and iwi showed they could work effectively together.
