Labour leader Andrew Little made the announcement while talking about his party’s policies to back the regions and the people who live in them.
Maniototo Health Services Ltd has already raised $2.4 million towards the Maniototo Hospital rebuild, and, with another $2million promised last month from the Maniototo Community Board, needed to find only another $1million to have enough to complete the project.
Maniototo Health Services Ltd chairman Stuart Paterson called the announcement a pleasant surprise.
"It would be very much appreciated if it was available."
He said local National MP Jacqui Dean had worked hard with the Government to try to get something done, but she had not been successful.
"A lot of people say why aren’t the Government helping?"
Mr Little said the announcement was made in Oamaru and not Ranfurly because of how it had fitted his team’s schedule.
"It just fit in with what we’re doing at the moment. The whole regional development thing. It’s about support and infrastructure."
The money for the five-year-old infrastructure project was something the Ranfurly community wanted, "it’s not something that’s been hatched in Wellington".
Before the meeting Labour’s health spokesman David Clark said there was also concern Oamaru Hospital, particularly its emergency department, was inadequately funded.
He said restoring funding to health services in the regions was a priority, especially in the wake of the news that future funding for the Lumsden Maternity Centre was still an unknown.
The Otago Daily Times understands the Southern District Health Board has reached agreements on the renewal of primary maternity contracts with both Northern Southland Health Ltd, which operates the Lumsden Centre, and the Central Southland Hospital Charitable trust, operator of the Winton Maternity Centre.
It is understood the contracts for both will be renewed, but only until September 2018.
Dr Clark said the local funding conundrum fell into a nationwide trend of maternity centres being shut down and the pay rates for midwives not moving at a pace which would be considered making the profession sustainable.
