It's time for the district health board to stick to its promise and give the people of Central Hawke's Bay (CHB) a means of getting to Hawke's Bay Hospital, says Di Petersen.
Mrs Petersen, a member of the health board's Community and Public Health advisory committee, said the board told CHB
they would provide transport access to Hastings when Waipukurau Hospital was closed in 1995.
"We didn't fight for the hospital. We fought for the services instead," Mrs Peterson said.
Red Cross is running the service between CHB and Hawke's Bay on funding from the Transfusion Foundation.
"It's running very well and we are very, very grateful, but it is a matter of principle," Mrs Petersen said.
"The health board should take responsibility."
A similar service from Napier to Hastings had been funded by the health board since the Napier hospital was closed. "Napier won theirs and we will fight for ours," Mrs Peterson said.
Health board chairman Kevin Atkinson asked for a review of the Napier service which he believed was costing less to run than was budgeted for this year.
Mr Atkinson said the budgeted amount had been "a stab in the dark" and the sum not being used could be put toward a CHB service.
General manager of planning, funding and performance Sue Peacock said funding for this year was complete but the issue could be raised in the planning process for next year.
