Greg Simpson was facilities manager at the Counties Manukau District Health Board for most of a decade up till late 2016.
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It was "a nightmare for everyone" trying to maintain buildings with only half the funding they needed, to say nothing of water, sewage and gas underground services which are now well beyond their best-by date, he said.
In an extended interview, reporter Phil Pennington asked Mr Simpson when it was he first became aware of Middlemore Hospital's building problems.
The National Party leader is refusing to accept responsibility for infrastructure problems at Middlemore Hospital that came to light under its watch. Audio
It's been revealed that Middlemore Hospital was forced to use emergency generators for weeks at its busy Manukau Superclinic after a major power failure.
Counties Manukau District Health Board has linked raw sewage leaking out of pipes to a bad bacteria outbreak at Middlemore Hospital in 2014.
Authorities were kept fully informed of the issues and risks with Middlemore Hospital's buildings, the former DHB boss who led the hospital until last year says.
Counties-Manukau District Health Board has been unable to take legal action to get money back in the case of three out of four of its rotting buildings.
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