The future of Omarama's Plunket service looks bleak despite the sub-branch having celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
The Plunket sub-branch is run by four women at present, but two of those want to finish their involvement.
"We need more people involved - if we are left with only two, then we may have to make the decision to close the branch," sub-branch president Michele Patterson said yesterday.
It caters for "about a dozen" families in the Omarama area, from the Lindis Pass to Ohau. The number of families in recent years has remained stable, although farming changes in the area may lead to growth in the future.
The other branches are at Twizel and Kurow.
Mrs Patterson has already appealed for people to help run the sub-branch.
"None," was her reply when asked how many responses she received.
Being involved would take little time and would consist of helping with the annual Plunket appeals and a meeting every three months. Other small fundraising efforts may be needed during the year, but these were minimal.
"It doesn't have to be mothers with young children. Women whose children have left home or grandmothers would be very welcome," she said.
The sub-branch has its own Plunket room in the Omarama Hall, provided with money from Plunket when the hall was built.
There were plans to redevelop the hall, but the Plunket room would remain if the sub-branch continued.
If there was no response to the call for more helpers, the future of the branch would have to be discussed at Plunket's national conference in June to decide how to deal with the situation.
Mrs Patterson said the final decision may not be made until the sub-branch's annual general meeting, which has to be held by November.
