Eastern Southland Rural Transport co-ordinator Dave Devenport demonstrates the ease with which people can be transported to hospital and specialist appointments in a specially modified van.

Eastern Southland Rural Transport co-ordinator Dave Devenport is urging residents without transport to use a specially fitted-out van to get to their doctors or hospital appointments.

Mr Devenport said since the van service had been established in Eastern Southland on July 1 last year, there had been some confusion surrounding who could use it.

Some people thought that they had to be a member of Grey Power Eastern Southland to be eligible, but Mr Devenport said that was untrue. There was no restriction on who could use the van.

There were also many people who did not know the service was in operation, he said.

The Red Cross owned the van and a team of 12 volunteers drove the vehicle, Mr Devenport said.

The van contained specialised equipment including a lowering step for ease of access and a chair lift. All of the volunteers had workplace first aid and defibrillator training, he said.

The van took people who had hospital appointments to any of five hospitals in the south - Gore, Invercargill, Balclutha, and Dunedin public hospitals and Mercy Hospital, he said. People often used the service to get to specialist appointments, he said.

It was not only people from the Gore township who used the service, there were also referrals from Mataura, Edendale and Northern Southland, he said. Several agencies would make referrals for transport for clients to the service.

These organisations included Work and Income, Ministry of Health and rest-homes, he said.

Often the service was used by people who had been admitted to hospital or had been transported to hospital by ambulance but had no way of getting home, he said.

‘‘I think it's a marvellous thing,'' Mr Devenport said.
People needing transport often did not have family living in the area or family members were working, he said. Those using the service gave a donation.

‘‘The people are pretty generous around Eastern Southland as far as donations go,'' Mr Devenport said.

-People needing transport to an appointment can phone the Gore Citizens Advice Bureau on (03) 208-4008 between 9.30am and 4.30pm for the telephone number of a driver-volunteer or phone Mr Devenport directly on 208-0010.