The redevelopment of the neonatal intensive care unit and paediatric ward at is expected to be the most expensive part of the $24.38 million capital works projects planned for Dunedin and Wakari hospitals.
Figures in a report to the Southern District Health Board's hospitals' advisory committee show that this part of the development is expected to cost $6.66 million.
Next most expensive is the shift of the acute mental health ward from Dunedin Hospital to Wakari, which has a budget of $3.609 million.
So far, $173,044 has been spent on this project.
The tender process for this is complete, but no announcement of the successful tenderers has been made, as the board awaits approval to proceed from the Ministry of Health.
While funding for the works was announced by Minister of Health Tony Ryall in June, building cannot start until the board's district annual plan is approved.
A revised plan was recently put before the ministry.
The board has spent some of the money on planning other changes at Wakari - car parking, mechanical reticulation and conference rooms - bringing the total spending to date to $270,724.
There are 16 parts to the project, which forms part of the board's overall master site plan to reorganise its Dunedin and Wakari sites to allow upgrading of outmoded facilities and make the most of the space available.
Other big-ticket items on the list are upgrading the Dunedin Hospital generators ($2,666,920), Wakari car parking ($1,274,676), relocating the Dunedin Hospital cafeteria ($2,227,590), relocating the chief executive's corporate offices and the board room to Wakari Hospital ($1,495,270) and shifting other Dunedin corporate offices within Dunedin Hospital ($1,363,367).
