A resident has recently asked the Minister of Health to change Otaki’s health boundary so residents receive their services from Capital and Coast. The Minister declined but it prompted me to outline briefly why Otaki gets it health services, both hospital and in the community, from MidCentral Health.
Otaki has always received its health services from Palmerston North. When the boundaries were redrawn for the new crown health enterprises sometime between June 1993 and July 1994, there was much consultation – including public meetings – with the Otaki community. Otaki residents very clearly were offered a chance to decide. MidCentral Health advised they wanted to continue providing health services to Otaki. Capital and Coast (at a public meeting I attended) advised they didn’t want Otaki. The community decided it wanted to stay with Palmerston North and the Minister agreed with them.
We have had an increased number of local health services available to us in the past decade provided by MCDHB. At the same they have managed operating with a surplus to provide for future facilities while C&C remains with a large deficit.
I think that all those years ago Otaki chose wisely. In addition Otaki residents are able to choose whether they go north or south for their health services,