Little more information was given at the Southern District Health Board meeting in Dunedin on Thursday about the board's dire financial position.
Previously, departing chairman Joe Butterfield had warned a deficit in the ''high 20s'' of millions of dollars meant the board had to take tough decisions.
It was in ''extreme financial difficulties'', he said last month.
On Thursday, the amount of the projected deficit was not clarified.
Mr Butterfield reminded members at the start to keep the financial position in mind throughout the meeting.
After the meeting, Mr Butterfield said when contacted much of the focus had turned to the 2015-16 financial year.
Its initial projected deficit was unacceptable.
The final figure for this year's deficit was not known, but was still expected to be in the ''high 20s'' of millions of dollars.
