Colonoscopies are on the list of services Dunstan Hospital would like to provide.
"It is a service we'd like to have here for the convenience of Central Otago people and something we've been looking at," Central Otago Health Services Ltd (COHSL) general manager Carol Horgan said.
"We don't have the volumes needed for public funding, but we have looked at it for private clinics.
"Of course, that would require a specialist from Dunedin and specialist equipment too, so we haven't worked through those details yet."
It would have no effect on the demand in Otago for colonoscopy services because it would still be accessed through doctors.
COHSL runs Dunstan Hospital and Dr Horgan said early next year the hospital would renegotiate its contract with the Otago District Health Board for 2010 and 2011.
There was a "wish list" of services the health company would like to add to the ones it provided at Dunstan, including colonoscopies.
"Our priority is very pragmatic," she said.
For example, it would like to provide rheumatology services, but rheumatology specialists were in short supply so that was unlikely.
"If there are no clinicians available, there's no point trying to provide that service."
Southland District Health Board chief operating officer Lexie O'Shea said colonoscopies were provided at Lakes District Hospital, at Frankton, on the mobile surgical bus.
The number of colonoscopies carried out annually could not be provided yesterday.
