Community
A plan to develop a charity hospital in Southland is being launched tonight.
The plan was first floated by Southland farmer Blair Vining, and his wife Melissa.
Mr Vining, 39, has campaigned for better cancer care since being diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer last October.
The plan will be launched at a meeting with potential investors and interested parties at the Findex Building in Invercargill at 6pm.
Mrs Vining said since her husband was diagnosed with cancer the couple had hundreds of people contact them about being denied services by the Southern District Health Board.
“If we can put an end to the suffering of others by establishing a local charity hospital service to provide timely diagnosis and treatment, then Blair’s suffering will not have been in vain,” she said.
Also attending the meeting will be Christchurch surgeon and founder of the Canterbury Charity Hospital Philip Bagshaw and his wife Dame Sue Bagshaw.
“We’re delighted to be able to help by giving them advice on how to proceed,” Dr Bagshaw said.
“It’s regrettable that entities such as charity hospitals need to be considered at all, but while health resources are underfunded nationwide in general, it’s clear that people in the regions, like Southland, are suffering badly,” he said.
Source: rnz.co.nz Republished by arrangement.