By Susan Sandys  February 22, 2012

There was no question of Mid Cantabrians' support for their beleaguered hospital yesterday, as more than 300 turned out for a public meeting in Ashburton.

Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) chairman Bruce Matheson said he was "pleasantly surprised" with the turnout, after summing up the feeling of the meeting – that the future for the hospital was not to focus solely on rebuilding what was there now but to create what was best for the community.
Rangitata MP Joe Goodhew, who organised the meeting, had support for her call to see the hospital's misfortunes as an opportunity.
"Let's take this as an opportunity to look at all possibilities, not just what we have got, maybe something more."
The hospital lost its operating theatres this month as they were shut down due to seismic risk.
While an endoscopy suite has re-opened at the hospital, undertaking 60 per cent of the procedures which were catered for by the operating theatres, it was obvious that any theatre rebuild would not be undertaken in the short term.
Ashburton GP and hospital anaesthetist Ross Warring said a mobile operating surgical theatre bus would visit Ashburton for the first week in May, and undertake five days of operations.
It would be stationed just outside the hospital, and patients could recover at the hospital itself.
There was the possibility of that bus visiting every fifth Tuesday to get through an operating theatre list, and this would fulfil the surgery requirements of the local population.
Dr Warring said a longer term solution, costing $1.5 to 2 million, would be a quick build of a theatre adjoining the hospital within three months.
"But do we want to waste that money on a short-term solution when we might need the money to rebuild the hospital?"
He proposed a "rapid-fire" committee be set up to work alongside the Ashburton District Council's health committee.
Members could look at what were the opportunities to continue services here and what was the best way of spending private and public monies to replace facilities.
"I have full confidence in CDHB in their long term plan for this area, there's not any undercurrent to take away services," Dr Warring said.
There was strong feeling among members of the public who asked questions and gave their opinions, but the mood of the meeting remained positive.
One person said Mid Canterbury made more money than most of the districts in the country, and it was just asking for some of that money back, another asking whether Christchurch would get the "first bite of the cherry" when it came to rebuild funds, and another concerned acute unit services might also have to shut down due to seismic risk.
To the latter question, CDHB chief executive David Meates said that while building assessments were ongoing and results would not be known for a fortnight, it was "highly unlikely" any other areas would have to be evacuated and, instead, strengthening options could be undertaken.
Neil Sinclair of Advance Ashburton raised concerns about visiting Christchurch specialists getting out of the habit of providing care in Ashburton as the theatres remained closed indefinitely.
Mr Meates said the six to seven visiting consultants were continuing in Ashburton, working alongside hospital surgeon John McDonald in scopes, and providing outpatient clinics.
Three weeks ago the theatres were not "flashing" as a seismic risk, but now the CDHB had an immediate issue in terms of getting its buildings throughout Canterbury repaired and retaining services, and it was a long term process.
The cost of earthquake repairs throughout Canterbury in 9000 damaged rooms was about $120 million, and Ashburton was an important part of future service delivery for the whole of the region.
"We are going to make sure services here are robust and sustainable into the future.
"We can't afford to not think of Ashburton in the context of the whole," Mr Meates said.
Mrs Goodhew said insurance issues for rebuilds were unfortunately quite slow and very complex, so it was important to put everything together around the table as soon as possible, so additional services could be provided to Ashburton people as soon as possible.
She picked up on Dr Warring's suggestion of forming a committee, and said yesterday's meeting was likely to be the first of many on the future of hospital services.

Pictured: It was a full house with standing room only at yesterday's meeting on the future of services at Ashburton Hospital.

Photo Tetsuro Mitomo