Maniototo Health Services Ltd (MHSL) manager Geoff Foster said tenders were advertised last Friday and would close on March 2. Strong interest had already been received and seven contractors had indicated they would submit a tender.
Mr Foster said it was hoped the tender would be awarded one or two weeks after March 2, and construction was scheduled to begin on March 19.
He said the project was expected to cost up to, "or more than", $7 million.
MHSL has $6.3 million at present, comprising $2.5 million from hospital reserves; $2 million from the Central Otago District Council, to be either paid back by Maniototo ratepayers or funded through Maniototo land sales; and $1.8 million from Maniototo fundraising and grants, including a $500,000 Otago Community Trust grant announced last December.
But hospital leaders were still waiting to hear if the Labour-led Government would provide the $1 million it had pledged towards the hospital project before the election, Mr Foster said.
MHSL chairman Stuart Paterson had previously written to the new Minister of Health, David Clark, to see if the $1 million was still forthcoming, and Maniototo hospital leaders were "in discussions" with the minister’s officials, Mr Foster said.
"We still haven’t got an official response. But we’re working with officials and we’re feeling confident."
Mr Foster said he hoped an update would be provided by the minister’s office before the end of this week.
When contacted by the Otago Daily Times, a spokesman for the minister said "The Ministry of Health will be providing advice to the minister on how to best progress the $1 million pledge".
