West Coaster come out in force to protest replacement of Buller Hospital

Hundreds of people took part in today's passive demonstration against the proposed Westport integrated family health centre. Photo / Lee Scanlon

By Lee Scanlon

More than 1000 people turned up in wheelchairs, pushchairs, mobility scooters and on foot to link hands around Buller Hospital today.

So many came they formed a second ring in parts.

They raised their hands in the air, cheered and clapped, and some sang 'Stand up for your rights'.

The Hands Around the Hospital demonstration was a passive demonstration against the Government's plan to replace the hospital with an integrated family health centre (IFHC).

The IFHC would be about a quarter the hospital's size, with about a quarter as many beds.

Sheila Oldham and her husband Jack said the hospital was a better bet than the IFHC.

"We've put money into the place - all the facilities," Mrs Oldham said.

The proposed boiler house site for the IFHC was ridiculous, she said.
"It's absolutely stupid to build it there."

Margaret van der Jagt said the hospital should stay.

Barry Shand agreed. "It's costing us more to build a hospital we don't need anyway."

Margaret and John Hill said they were there to support the hospital.

Mrs Hill said the Government, not ACC, should pay for the new IFHC. "Why are we being double taxed?"

The Buller District Council should not put any money into the new building, she said.

Ian Roger said the IFHC plan wouldn't work. "I think it needs to be relocated and scratched and re-done properly."

There was nothing wrong with the current hospital which could be build on to, he said.

Linton Harmon agreed. He said the current hospital had come through the 1968 Inangahua earthquake virtually unscathed.

Lynne Higgins said fixing Buller Hospital was a better alternative than building the proposed IFHC.

"Pull X-ray and the old ward down and fix what we've got. Since when have nurses had to paint and put new curtains in place?" she said, referring to refurbishments done by staff.

Laurie Smith said the Government should give Buller the $12 million planned for the IFHC and let the community build what it needed.

Ross Eddy said losing the hospital would mean losing part of Buller's identity.

Nancy O'Dea said the hospital did a good job. The IFHC proposed would be a downgrade, she said.

Chris Townrow said she had been a patient in the hospital. "I hope it's here until I bloody die. It's what we need."

Ruth Vaega said Buller deserved a decent hospital. "As we age, what's going to happen to us? We can't be centralised out of our hospital, we just can't. I'm very angry about it, actually."

Sue Gibson and her mother Maureen Clark agreed.

"It's our hospital, we need to save it," said Mrs Gibson. "I have family that live here - young ones that are going to be having children ... they need to be safe."

Older people needing hospital care at the end of their lives shouldn't have to leave Buller for it, she said.

Mrs Clark agreed: "They need family around them."

Andrew Basher said he had turned up to support the community. "We need a good medical facility. We have an ageing demographic. They've paid their taxes for years. We need something that's first world standard."

Two district councillors, Robyn Nahr and Greg Hart, said the Government should build a hospital that met Westport's needs.

"What I think we should do is, form a building committee and the Government should give us the $12m," said Cr Nahr. "If we can't build it for $12m to suit our purposes there would be something wrong."

Cr Hart said the Government should be putting up the $26m originally proposed for a decent hospital.

Phyl Phipps, one of the demonstration organisers, was delighted with the turnout.

- Westport News