"I realise the health board have tough decisions to make, but we've some real issues and as a community we are struggling to look after ourselves."
Wards said it was one of the toughest times in her 20 years as a health professional in this town.
"Don't chip away at our means, we really struggle to provide the care this rural community deserves," she told board members.
MidCentral health board chairwoman Dot McKinnon said she was very mindful of what Wards was saying.
"We'd like to put more funding into primary health care, but running Palmerston North Hospital is costing more and more. But we are absolutely focused on supporting communities," she said.
"We are trying to get the most we can out of our health dollars."
However, Wards said there needed to be a continuity of primary health care.
"Don't push us too far because the cracks are widening," she warned.
Midwives in Dannevirke had 12 CYFS cases on their books, something unheard of before now, she said.
"This is indicative of what our community is struggling with," Wards said.
"Youth are struggling and our district has drug and alcohol problems and we have an ageing population."
Meeting Wairarapa MP Alastair Scott (National) on Monday, Wards said she wanted to see the Government rural-proof health services within our area.
"We want rural services close to home, but the reality is they're becoming further and further away and, in my role, I see very little from last week's Budget for rural health services.
"As a rural community of 17,000, I've seen things chipped away over the last 18 months.
"If you put all the people in rural New Zealand together that would be the second-largest city in New Zealand. But our DHB has made it pretty clear a lot of investment will sit in Palmerston North."
Scott said it was up to the DHB to allocate spending, but Wards said she would be looking to Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and the National Government for answers and solutions.
Tararua District deputy mayor Allan Benbow said there was a serious disconnect between the health budget and our community and he would be urging his council to help in any way it could.