Doctors, nurses and other health professionals were among the thousands of protesters who took part in a march against downgrading the proposed new regional hospital, on Saturday.
Like many of the people marching, they were angry.
Nephrologist and University of Otago School of Medicine's Prof Rob Walker told the Otago Daily Times before the march that he "disagreed entirely" with the government’s view on the new hospital.
"It is not just a building, it’s about people, and they are not helping people that need the help."
Dunedin’s nearly 150-year-old medical school, strong nursing school, allied health services and medical laboratory science projects were all "critical" to the city.
"They will go.
"Who’s going to come and work in a grotty old building that’s not fit-for-purpose?
"In 10 years’ time, the medical school could disappear because people won’t come and work here because of [the government's] stupidity and lack of foresight."
Others were also forthright in their reasons for marching.
"We have to stand up for what we need in not only Dunedin, but the whole of Otago and Southland.
"Shame, shame, Shane," cardiologist and medical professor Gerard Wilkins said about Health Minister Dr Shane Reti.
It was disappointing the government had not stuck to its promise about the hospital and also that it recently announced about $200 million worth of tax cuts on tobacco products and they could not afford to stick to a promise that was made to Dunedin, he said.
Viv Oswald, a practice nurse at Dunedin Hospital, said she had voted for the current government and was "appalled" to think that the new hospital was not going to be completed.
"We need to save this hospital — honestly we do.
"It’s ridiculous — we’re short of staff.
"We need it built and we need it built properly."
A group of doctors and nurses from Dunedin dressed in their uniforms and performing CPR on a "patient" (representing Dunedin Hospital) on a hospital bed were marching because they were concerned about the cuts to the new hospital plans.
Speaking for the group, Dr Joshua Smith said the "patient" was suffering from three life-threatening conditions: political paralysis, a broken promise bone and myopia, or short-sightedness.
"Some doctor up north wants us to amputate or give up trying, but we're not ready to give up just yet."
