A helipad. Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd
A hospital in rural Northland says it needs $20,000 to complete an overdue upgrade of its helipad.
Hauora Hokianga in Rawene provides essential health services to remote and rural communities around the Hokianga.
Chief executive Margareth Broodkoorn said the helipad needed to be upgraded to accommodate larger helicopters for emergency evacuations and transfers.
"Our hospital helipad plays a critical role in that, in terms of responding to emergency situations," she said.
"This upgrade is allowing rescue helicopters to quickly transfer patients in need of urgent care to more specialised hospitals."
Broodkoorn said donors - both local and from afar - had been very generous.
"Our local people and from afar actually have been so, so, so generous ... [we're] just honoured people have come out in such a big effort.
"$20,000 is a lot of money to be able to provide which is unbudgeted and unfunded, which is why we thought 'well how are we going to raise this money' and we thought utilising a Givealittle page would support us in doing that, which it's proven quite successful actually."
Funding from central government and Te Whatu Ora was contributing to the upgrade, Broodkoorn said.
By Saturday night, the Givealittle page had raised nearly $13,500 from more than 100 donors.
Broodkoorn said a temporary helipad was being established on the Rawene Golf Club to support the continuity of emergency services.
"We needed to have a contingency plan, an alternative site. The Rawene Golf Club put their hand up and was acceptable to the [Northland Emergency Services Trust] team as a suitable site as a temporary measure."
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