On October 13, the Otago Daily Times reported there was speculation around the Oamaru community that the kitchen at the hospital would close and meals would be provided by an outside contractor.
At the time, Waitaki District Health Services chairman Chris Swann dismissed such claims but did confirm a review of the kitchen operation was under way, which included consultation with staff.
On November 13, the company announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Presbyterian Support Otago to undertake due diligence to the provision of food services for Oamaru Hospital and the town’s Meals on Wheels service, through Oamaru’s Iona Enliven Care Home.
Save Our Hospital Kitchen Group founder Thelma Beer presented a petition against the move to Mr Kircher at the Waitaki District Council offices on Thursday, signed by half a dozen of the group’s core members.
"What else can we do? I just felt doing something like that, as a document, it becomes a historical thing as well. It becomes something that goes down in the official records of things that have been done to save the kitchen."
Mr Kircher, who criticised how the board communicated the issue to the public at a council meeting last month, accepted the petition and said
the issue was "something people obviously feel very strongly about".
"There continues to be a number of questions which we want to make sure the board has thoroughly looked into and that they remain confident their decision is the right one. They are charged with those decisions and we respect that, but equally we have to have the opportunity to ask the question of them to make sure they have thought through all of the options and believe it’s the best thing to do."
