New Gonville medical centre all go

WITH more than $1 million in the kitty, the brand new, purpose-built health centre for Gonville is ready to go, and it could be open for business as early as March next year.
Two public meetings at Gonville School hall yesterday learned that all that's needed is confirmation that the developer has the land signed and sealed before construction kicks off.
Judith MacDonald, CEO of the Whanganui Regional Primary Health Organisation (WRPHO), told about 100 people at the 1pm meeting that while the WRPHO was playing a prime role in the project, the development will be in the hands of a Palmerston North company.
Three residential properties have been purchased facing Abbott St where it intersects with Harper St.
The new building - the Gonville Centre - will feature GPs' rooms at the back, a community space, cafe and small library along with a pharmacy. The general practitioners will pay rent for their space while the pharmacy at the front of the building has entered into a separate arrangement with the developer.
The cafe will also be the developer's responsibility, but the WRPHO will own the community space in the middle of the complex.
The funding was nailed down in February this year and Ms MacDonald said it included a $350,000 donation from Powerco Trust, a $500,000 interest-free loan from the Whanganui Community Foundation and a further $200,000 pledged by the WRPHO.
The WRPHO would take responsibility for repaying the loan. She said funding would give the WRPHO "outright ownership" of the community room because it didn't want to have any charges associated for use of the space.
The PHO has provided 75 percent of the funding with the rest from the developer.
"It's a huge venture, so we needed to have control."
The building will be finished by June next year but Ms MacDonald said it could be as early as March 2009. Ms MacDonald said the second stage the chronic care unit was dependent on district health board contracts.
"MidCentral Health (Palmerston North) is responsible for our renal treatment needs, and their planning is looking at Wanganui as being part of that primary care service.
"What we're saying is we've got the opportunity to provide that service here. At the moment. Wanganui people have to travel there, but at this stage we can give no guarantees."
Ms MacDonald said governance of the centre would be in the hands of a Gonville Advisory Group, along with representatives of the clinicians and the WRPHO.
Nomination forms were available at both meetings yesterday, and she urged those attending to be involved.
The centre would provide health services during normal business hours but would not be a 24/7 service.
Whanganui Accident and Medical will provide after-hours cover, based at the hospital.