Patient advocate Malcolm Mulholland brought the "Buller Declaration", which was launched in Westport last month, for signatures to the Dunedin Public Library.
It says the Aotearoa New Zealand health system is in a state of crisis; the government must address this crisis, and rural, Maori and low-income families are disproportionately affected by this crisis.
So far, he has collected "tens of thousands" of signatures as he takes it throughout the South Island.
Ms Leary said the South should not be seen as "an unwanted appendage" when it came to health funding.
The declaration grew out of public outcry in the northern West Coast town over leaked Health NZ plans to cull its after-hours medical and GP services, culminating in a 1000-strong march in the town of fewer than 5000.
Mr Mulholland launched the declaration at the same time the march for the new Dunedin hospital took place.
"Funnily enough, it was purely coincidental.
"I'm always amused that there was something else at play there, something we can't explain.
"And I will say that the folks at Westport were well aware of the march that was taking place [in Dunedin] and there was so much support for what they were trying to achieve."
Mr Mulholland hopes to take the declaration to Wellington.
"I would like to see there being a massive injection of funds into the next year's budget for health, so that we can employ more doctors and nurses."
