The construction of the nearly $6 million building started in May 2021 and was originally targeted for opening before Christmas 2022.
However, as all workers were volunteers, and with the Covid-19 pandemic, the project had been delayed - but nothing could shake the enthusiasm of founder Melissa Vining and fellow board members.
Board member Janet Copeland took the Otago Daily Times on a tour through the facility this week.
She was responsible for the building committee and said she was impressed with the progress so far.
"We will hope to be open and operating before the end of the year so, if we can pull that off, it would be pretty fantastic.
"But, you know, the generosity that people have had and giving their time and resources and money has meant that we’ve been able to achieve, I think, an enormous amount in what really is a relatively short period of time."
After his diagnosis in 2018, the father-of-two was told he had just weeks to live and because of the severely under-resourced health services in Southland, it was unlikely he would be able to see a specialist before the cancer took his life.
When discovering the extent of the inequity in the region, Mr Vining launched a campaign for more accessible cancer care — however, he lost his battle with the disease in October 2019.
"One of his wishes before he passed away was to try and build a charity hospital ... and I said to Blair ... you’ve done so much in the time since you’ve had your diagnosis, why don’t you just enjoy what time you’ve got left with your beautiful wife and family?
"He was pretty grumpy at me saying that - and I felt guilty ever since," she said with a laugh.
The hospital would feature a fully equipped operating room, a dental suite, six recovery beds and other health facilities to provide a range of services for people in Southland and Otago.
The aim was in the first instance to provide colonoscopies, but whatever the unmet need was, they hoped to be able to provide the care, she said.
"So it might be cataracts, maybe it might be things like carpal tunnels - these are the kinds of things that are happening at the Canterbury Charity Hospital.
"But it just really does depend on the medical professionals that are willing to donate their time and support us."
The 8000 supporters’ bricks — part of the buy-a-brick fundraising campaign - were already on site and would be laid in the path from the carpark to the hospital’s front door and also pave the Blair Vining Memorial Garden.
The next milestone for the hospital will be August 1 when the operating theatre will be commissioned.
She believed this could take six to eight weeks.
Looking around and seeing what the trust had achieved since 2019 and what it could mean for so many people within the community, Mrs Copeland said she was thankful for the generosity from people across the country.
"I think probably [I feel] overwhelmed because we’ve just put in so much time and so much effort. So many hours and hours of time. It’ll be pretty special."
