Dunedin residents are worried they will pay a high cost if their new hospital is not built to its original plan. Photo: RNZ / Delphine Herbert
This story has been updated with comment from Health New Zealand stating Dunedin Hospital has two operable diagnostic CT scanners.
A sea of Southerners filled Dunedin's Town Hall last night in support of the Save Our Southern Hospital campaign.
The government announced earlier this year the new Dunedin Hospital would either need to be cut back or done in stages, due to a budget blow-out.
Around 1000 people turned up to hear why building the hospital as planned, was important.
Dunedin locals fill Town Hall to support hospital campaign
The message was clear - Southerners would not be backing down until they got the hospital they say they need.
Some of the people attending the Save our Hospital rally in Dunedin last night. Photo: RNZ / Delphine Herbert
The government announced in September there would have to be changes to the project because it couldn't be delivered within the current budget of just under $1.9 billion and the cost could possibly blow out to $3b.
It sparked outrage, and the 'Save Our Southern Hospital' campaign was born.
The new Dunedin Hospital building site. Photo: RNZ/Tess Brunton
One resident, Paul Schofield said there would be a high cost for patients and staff if the redevelopment did not go ahead.
"It's a threat to the university, it's a threat to the young doctors that are being trained at the moment.
"We don't even have a CT scan here. How can you possibly train technicians if you don't have adequate equipment?"
But in a statement, Health NZ southern group director of operations Hamish Brown said: "This information is not correct. Dunedin Hospital has two operable diagnostic CT scanners and at no time have we been without CT cover".
Schofield's wife, Beverly, said the upgrade should be a no brainer.
"If they had a decent hospital they'd probably attract more staff if it's very well equipped."
Karen Sintmaartenstijk said pressure must be kept on the government, suggesting that could mean medical staff walking off the job.
"There was a really valid question tonight - what happens next? Do people start striking? It's got to come to that, it's got to happen."
Nurses Organisation president Anne Daniels who works at the hospital said lives would be lost if the project was not done properly.
"People are going to be put at risk and they are more likely to die and we know this for a fact because we have been doing this job for a very long time.
"But we are being ignored and we will not tolerate that. We want our hospital how it should be."
Those who spoke at the meeting included clinicians Dr Mike Hunter and Dr Sheila Barnett who told the audience health care and medical training will suffer if the new hospital was cut back.
Photo: RNZ / Delphine Herbert
Labour MP for Taieri Ingrid Leary said delays to the project were just adding to the cost.
"It doesn't seem to matter if it's a leaky hospital, half a hospital being built, frontline workers saying lives will be lost.
"All of these messages have been going tirelessly to the National government - they're just not listening. They need to wake up and listen because it's costing $110,000 every day that the hospital is not built."
Mayor Jules Radich could not make the meeting because he is overseas, but recorded a special video for the event.
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti was invited but declined to attend.