Ashburton could face long wait for hospital - DHB

9:43 pm on 1 March 2012

Ashburton residents could face a long wait before their hospital is fully operational again, after its surgical wards closed because they may be earthquake prone.

Canterbury District Health Board chief executive David Meates says it would be counter productive to put in temporary facilities at Ashburton Hospital because that would reduce the amount of money available for a long-term solution.

Mr Meates says he can understand community anxiety and mistrust over the future of the hospital but the board remains committed to providing the full range of hospital services in the town in the long term.

Three hundred people attended a meeting on the hospital's future last week.