Health Minister Tony Ryall yesterday announced the board had been granted $7 million in deficit funding to go with the $7 million provided earlier in the year to the Southland board.
Board finance and funding general manager Robert Mackway-Jones said the board had budgeted for a deficit of $15 million.
The amounts allocated by the Government would be sufficient "cash-wise" for the board's operations. However, when the accounts were finalised for the year, the board expected to be over the planned deficit.
The expected $16.5 million deficit for the year was better than the most recent end-of-year forecast of $17.2 million.
The figures presented to the Southern District Health Board at its meeting in Invercargill yesterday showed that until the end of May, the board's deficit was $14.6 million, which was about $100,000 better than expected at that stage.
Mr Mackway-Jones said the end-of-year result was expected to be " reasonably positive".
