Health centre priorities

Press, 13 July 1979, Page 4

Health centre priorities

A health centre for Parklands may not be built for seven years.

A $350,000 medical complex which has been proposed for a site on Queenspark Drive, Parklands, would have to stand its chance in a list of six proposed Christchurch health centres all awaiting the approval of the Minister of Health (Mr Gair), said the North Canterbury Hospital Board’s acting deputy chief executive (Mr J. R. Wright). Smith Developments, Ltd, has applied for a specified departure to the Waimairi County Council for the complex. The council’s town-

planning committee will hear it next month. However, approval would in no way commit the board which makes its own plans, and was dependent on Government finance, said Mr Wright. The board had only approved in principle a health centre for Parklands. Even if a special primary health care committee, now juggl- i ing the health centre priorities, gave the Parklands health centre top priority, it would be at least a year before submissions reached the Minister, who might reject it, said Mr Wright. Fourth priority would probably delay it for five years. i

Mr Wright said it was “not impossible” that the board might accept the Smith Development proposal with modifications. The cost of the Lyttelton Health Centre had been set at $245,000 to keep doctors’ rents down, and the board had yet to hold discussions with medical practitioners to find if they would rent a centre at Parklands. The proposal before the Waimairi County Council stages the complex to allow it to grow with the population. At present, Parklands’ population is 3000, but development has been slow because of the economic recession.