Central Otago Health Services Ltd (COHSL) has delivered hospital services to Central Otago for more than a decade and chairman Russell McGeorge, of Wanaka, said the company wanted neurosurgery to be retained in Dunedin.
"There's six skifields within our area and lots of adventure activities like climbing and people involved in all those activities are at higher risk for head injuries. It's really important to be able to stabilise injured people from here at Dunstan and then rapidly move them through to Dunedin.
"Road access is viable to Dunedin, but it's not always viable to Christchurch, in conditions when helicopters can't fly patients.
"We're very concerned about the potential loss of the service - we're remote enough as it is, without adding even more distance to get to Christchurch if neurosurgery is based in that city," he said.
The board had outlined its concerns to the director-general of health and Central Otago residents were rallying in support of retaining the service in Dunedin.
"Everyone seems to know someone who has used the service, so it touches the whole community."
The sole shareholder of the health company is Central Otago Health Inc.
Its chairwoman, Mary Flannery, of Poolburn, said the group backed COHSL's submissions to the director-general.
"We're fully supportive of what they've said ... There seems to be a huge groundswell of support for the retention of the neurosurgery service in Dunedin," she said.
