Diggers and trucks heralded the start of excavation work on the West Otago Health Centre in Tapanui this week.
The group behind the project, the West Otago Health Trust, had hoped to begin construction in July but faced delays in the design and consenting phases, chairman Allister Body said yesterday.
West Otago Health Ltd chairwoman Marianne Parks said the project received $250,000 since publishing building plans several months ago.
Yesterday another donation was presented to the trust - $10,500 from the West Otago A&P Society and West Otago Lions Club combined hay competition held earlier this year.
Mrs Parks said the donation doubled their effort of $5000 for the centre in 2010.
In January, two Dunedin businesses - Cook Brothers Construction and Oakley Gray Architects - won the $2.4 million contract for the health centre.
Since then, the project has been capped at $2.85 million due to alterations as part of the design process, Mr Body said.
The trust has enough money to meet the stage one construction costs. Stage two of the project - a helipad estimated to cost $10,000 - would be paid for by the Mercer Trust and the Tapanui Volunteer Fire Brigade, but about $250,000 was needed for the third stage, equipment and landscaping.
The new medical centre, to be built on the grounds of the former Tapanui Hospital on State Highway 90, will include a 14-bed rest-home, offering the district's elderly residents a chance to stay in the town instead of in facilities in larger centres.
Thirteen rooms had already been sponsored with naming rights awarded to each room. One nurse's consulting room and 10 bedrooms remained unsponsored.
Mrs Parks said it was great to have all the larger sponsorship levels awarded.
The centre is expected to employ 20-30 people, providing health services to more than 2000 people in West Otago and outlying areas.
The Clutha District Council has contributed $1 million, and the West Otago Community Board gave the trust about $51,000 from the harvesting of a forestry block near Tapanui.
The grant to build a health centre is loan-funded, to be repaid by ratepayers in the West Otago Health service area over 25 years.
