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'How come Jacinda?' - West Coast town inspired by Hollywood blockbuster to tackle health care crisis

March 29, 2018

Fed up residents have erected a billboard to air their concerns, similar to the film 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'.

The town of Westport is trying to solve a hyper-local health issue with a little inspiration from an Oscar winning Hollywood film.

The problem is a run down hospital, that Labour promised to upgrade during the election, but has since been quiet about.

And the film is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which tells the story of a frustrated mum who erects three billboards entering her town to call out the cops who failed to find her daughter’s killer.

"We are trying billboards and can tell from toots people taking notice," one local said. 

"Public meeting and that was a suggestion, everybody can identify with this and it’s doing something physical as opposed to writing letters and getting no response."

The message from the West Coast town is, basically, "don't cut our hospital services".

The former National Government said it would replace Westport's dilapidated hospital with a health care centre - but it came with the catch the bed number would be reduced from 31 to 10.

Then Labour came along on the campaign trail and offered a much better $20 million offer.

But since they came to power the proposal remained on ice, and Westport residents are now desperately trying to get Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's attention.

"I can remember jumping up and down, cos they promised us 20 million dollar hosp going to meet needs of community."

"As far as we see nothing changed and still capped 12 million dollars and this is actually losing services.

"If get decent rebuild give us more confidence to stay here. Otherwise we'll leave an we've been here 50 years."

The local independent GP might have to watch his own blood pressure too.

"I feel little bit angry because we can't afford to have cuts in Westport. My biggest area concern no beds. It's manifestly inadequate, the hospital will fill up. If we can't transfer them to Westport where will they go?"

A look at other districts does make it seem unfair.

Mata Mata has 33 beds in total, Golden Bay 29, and Westport with just 10.

"The stats put us in third world rating level with Indonesia - they have 0.89 beds per 1000. We have 1 per 1000," Anita Halsall says.

There are cuts to maternity: from four rooms and a dedicated lounge and birthing suite, down to one birthing suite doubling up for postnatal care.

And mental health too has suffered some proposed changes including shared entry ways and waiting areas, unconventional in the field.

So until there's word from the Government on Westport's hospital upgrade, the billboards stay, say locals.

"We're not just going to sit back and take what's thrown at us not at all, we will keep fighting."

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