“Exciting times” for integrated health project
Andrew Swanson-Dobbs, who chaired the recent meeting of the interim management group (IMG), pointed to recent milestones for the integration project.
“We’ve appointed a sixth GP for the Bay. We have also lodged the resource consent application for the construction of the new facility. A formal alliance has been established between the DHB, the PHO and the Golden Bay Community Health Te Hauora O Mohua Trust to support the integration project. The Ministry and the Minister of Health have given us their formal approvals for the project to proceed. Having our newly appointed service director, Rhoda McDonald, on board is just great too. These are exciting times.”
Last Monday’s open day at the Takaka Fire Station enabled more than a hundred members of the public to catch up with progress in the building project and the development of the service.
Meanwhile, Mike Cummins, the secretary of the DHB, has provided some budget figures to reassure locals that the entire project, including the building aspect, will be not only achievable but also economically sustainable.
“The integrated family health centre, which is the only sure way to retain elder-care in the Bay, has a price-tag of $7.6m,” said Mr Cummins. “Of that, $5m will be covered by loans, $1m will come from the sale of existing assets, the DHB has offered an $800,000 interest-free loan and the remaining $800,000 will come from community fund-raising in all its forms.
“The annual rent of $492,000 will be sufficient to cover the loan repayments. The DHB has taken the lease on the building for 35 years. This provides added security. The DHB, the PHO and the property-owning trust are now in an alliance. This is a good way for three quite different organisations to work constructively together on a common project.”
Mr Cummins reiterated that the operational funding of $4.9m per year, which is the cost of providing health services in the Bay was being “ring-fenced”.
“That is the level of funding we are committing to. The DHB has been very clear about that from the start of the integration project.”
Regarding the community fund-raising, Mr Cummins said, “There is no reliance on donations to help fund the loans. In the development phase, the community is encouraged to show their support in any way possible because the more we raise that way, the less we have to borrow. The aim is to use the fund-raising to enhance the facility in just the same ways as the Golden Bay community has traditionally done - working together to provide enhanced medical facilities and equipment for the benefit of the whole community.”
Mr Cummins explained that once the loans had been paid off - in about 20 years - the income from rent would become disposable income for the trust.
The interim management group says that it is keen to meet with the newly-formed Rototai Trust. The latter group is proposing to build a medical centre on land adjacent to the end of Wadsworth Street in Takaka, said Mr Swanson-Dobbs.
“Members of the IMG are aware of the formation of the group and we have been working to find a time to meet with the Rototai Trust members to identify any areas of common ground. We want to learn more about their plans and to provide them with an update of our progress. Rather than duplicating efforts, we would like to work with this group for the benefit of the people of the Bay.”
Neil Wilson
