In the spirit of saving the hospital

Embracing the Halloween spirit to protest hospital cuts at the University of Otago are (from left) Dunedin City Council campaign assistant Emily Paton and councillors Sophie Barker and Mandy Mayhem with Cliff the ambulance.

Cr Barker said the university students were amazing — eager to sign the campaign’s postcards addressed to Ministers Chris Bishop and Shane Reti, urging them to build the hospital as planned.

Hospital cuts would have a marked impact on medical students from the university and polytechnic, she said.

"It seems like they all know what’s going on," she said.

First year health science student Emily Wong, of Wellington, said she signed a postcard because the new hospital was vital to train future health professionals.

This was "not only for the whole community but also for people coming into the medical world", she said.