Wanaka's health-care services began operating under one roof yesterday as the town's new multimillion-dollar Wanaka Lakes Health Centre officially opened for business.
An early-morning Maori blessing of the integrated community health-care facility on Cardrona Valley Rd was attended by about 30 staff and members of the public. Centre operations manager Richard Beven said everything had run "really smoothly".
"People know where to come ... there's a lot of public coming through using the services," Mr Beven said.
"I think everyone's pretty happy that everything's in the same place."
The only teething problem yesterday was that the car park, which has about 130 spaces, was already full by noon, he said.
The centre was developed with private funds by Wanacare Limited partners Dr Andrew McLeod, of Wanaka Medical Centre, Dr Simon Brebner, of Aspiring Medical Centre and Gin Bush, of Wanaka Physiotherapy. The partners will retain their own separate business identities but after-hours doctor services will be shared.
The partners join other core tenants Otago Radiology, Wanacare Pharmacy - which will open on July 1 - and Central Otago Optical. Lakes Podiatry and Pembroke Massage will also occupy space at the centre. Mr Beven said there were still some community consulting rooms available for rent on a casual or full-time basis.
