Pressure on the healthcare system has been adding a lot of stress to people's lives lately, but one bright spot is the opening of the Southern Charity Hospital in Invercargill.
You may recall the story of Blair Vining, a Southland man with bowel cancer who made it his final mission to improve access to health services.
His wife Melissa picked up the baton, and five years later, the hospital is open.
It's offering colonoscopies to begin with, but the plan is to add other services including dentistry.
The project was run entirely by volunteers, and one of those is local legend Karl Boniface, who managed all the plumbing on top of running his own business.
Left: The Southern Charity Hospital building. Right: Plumbing manager for the project, Karl Boniface, hugs project lead Melissa Vining at the hospital's opening. Photo: Supplied
