Rural hospitals’ services vulnerable

“The Southern District Health Board’s efforts to tighten its financial belt are clearly going to have very serious consequences for rural hospitals,” says ASMS Executive Director Ian Powell. He was responding to a media release from Waitaki District Health Services Limited which says the Southern DHB’s plans to reduce Oamaru Hospital’s funding by 5% for 2015/16 will mean a downgrading of services and the whole rural hospital system.  The full ASMS media release can be read here.