Cardiac unit for P.M.H. by 1990

Press, 12 July 1988, Page 1

Cardiac unit for P.M.H. by 1990

By

PETER LUKE

and SARAH SANDS

Christchurch’s long-awaited heart surgery unit moved one step closer yesterday when the Government agreed to a $2.5 million grant to cover its running costs.

But the Canterbury Hospital Board’s request for the unit’s $2.5 million building costs has been rejected by the Minister of Health, Mr Caygill. “Capital costs are a matter for the board. I have approved a grant to cover the running costs,” said Mr Caygill after a one-hour meeting with the board’s chairman, Mr Tom Grigg. But Mr Caygill said the grant meant the unit — destined for the roof of a wing at The Princess Margaret Hospital — would “almost certainly” go ahead. The board had told him that it should be running in late 1989 or early 1990.

“As a local member of Parliament I am pleased my constituents and the people of Christchurch and Canterbury can look forward to the day when they will not have to go to Dunedin or Auckland for heart surgery," he said.

“This is something that groups like Cardiac Companions have been fighting for, for many years.”

He said that the unit, when built, would ease waiting lists in Auckland as well as Canterbury. The $2.5 million service development grant pledged for running costs will effectively come from the $11.7 million by which the board is under-funded on a population basis. The board had now to consider the capital costs, including a suggestion from the Minister that they look at their property. While the board had indicated it was prepared to do this, it believed there were other ways to raise the $2.5 million running costs, said Mr Caygill. While most of the $2.5 million grant would not be available until surgery began, some development costs — such as architectural fees or training costs — might have to be paid earlier, said Mr Caygill.

Mr Caygill also said that recent legislation meant that there was nothing to stop the board establishing the unit.

“They do not require the Government’s consent, which is why what I did today was approve money rather than the establishment of the service,” he said.

Mr Grigg said last evening that the board would keep its options open on how to fund the unit.

The Government's loan programme for hospitals was a possibility but the board was already receiving a large percentage from the programme for the redevelopment of Christchurch Hospital, he said.

It would be about 18 months before the' money for the unit would need to go on to the building programme, said Mr Grigg. “If the interest rates go down and we make some wise investments we might be able to save a little bit of capital.” Mr Grigg was not in favour of a public appeal for the money. “I myself am not confident that that would be successful in today’s climate. It would have been two or three years ago without doubt but today I’m not so sure.”

The delegation that met Mr Caygill was happy with the outcome, he said. The board’s biggest worry with building a cardiac unit had been the maintenance costs, said Mr Grigg. The Minister’s decision to fund these costs through a service development grant meant that the $2.5 million was built into the board’s allocation every year, he said.

Now that the maintenance money had been assured, the board would proceed with working drawings, said Mr Grigg. It was hoped the unit would be built within 18 months to two years. The chairman of Cardiac Companions, Mr Jack Gavigan, said last evening that the announcement was what the group had hoped for.

“It’s really up to the board now to get themselves organised in terms of the capital works money and get going.” '