Hon Pete Hodgson
Minister of Health
21 November 2005 Media Statement

Auckland hospital latest to benefit from investment

The dedication of Auckland City Hospital is a major milestone in the Labour-led government's programme of hospital upgrades, Health Minister Pete Hodgson said today.

"The dedication of the new hospital is the culmination of one of the single, biggest health infrastructure projects in New Zealand's history," Pete Hodgson said. "We've built the biggest public building in the country and undertaken the biggest ever migration of health services.

"The Auckland DHB has had to bring together the inpatient services of Greenlane Hospital, the National Women's Hospital and the old Auckland Hospital onto one site while simultaneously overseeing a major building project.

"It's been nothing short of a monumental effort and all involved deserve our thanks and congratulations."

The construction of the new facility has been part of the government's wider investment in public hospital upgrades over the past six years – the largest upgrades in New Zealand history.

"The demands on our health system are changing and our hospitals need to be equipped to deal with them. We've had to invest in new technology, revisit issues of access and design and in a number of cases – including Auckland's new facility – we've had to build new hospitals."

New hospitals have already been opened in four cities with 11 other projects currently underway.

ENDS

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