South Auckland is to get its first private hospital - and at the helm is the man who was once in charge of its public health service.
Former Counties Manukau District Health Board chief executive David Clarke will head the board of the new Ormiston Hospital, which isplanned to open in August next year.
The hospital, in Ormiston Rd, is in an area the Manukau City Council expects will house much of its growing population.
"This hospital has risen out of significant need and has been talked about for many years. It now is a reality," said Mr Clarke.
The hospital, which will cost more than $10 million to build, will cater specifically to day-stay and short-stay procedures, which include endoscopy, gynaecology, plastics, oral and eye surgery, and ear, nose and throat surgery.
It will have a 24-hour accident and medical facility, radiology centre, five operating theatres, 10 recovery beds and, initially, eight in-patient beds.
The hospital has been planned and developed by oral maxillofacial surgeon John Edwards and registered nurse Clare McArthur in partnership with Auckland developer Griffin Property.
Although the country's overall birthrate continues to decline, births in Counties Manukau have jumped 20 per cent in the past five years.
In the year to June last year, 7685 babies were born in Counties.
Birth rates have outstripped Ministry of Health projections, forcing officials to revise 2004 projections of a 9.6 per cent growth over 10 years to 25 per cent, which predicts that by 2016, 9500 babies will be born in the area.
