In a statement, charity hospital board member Melissa Vining said she was thrilled to announce Prof Frank Frizelle would perform colonoscopies at the facility.
"He’s the Richie McCaw of colorectal surgeons," she said.
Before Mrs Vining had even approached him about volunteering his services to the Southern Charity Hospital project, Prof Frizelle had already decided he wanted to be involved.
"I worked in Southland as a registrar with surgeons like Murray Pfeifer, George Ngaei and Doug Allan, who were great role models for commitment to the community."
Prof Frizelle is professor of colorectal surgery at the University of Otago, Christchurch campus, editor-in-chief of the New Zealand Medical Journal since 2002 and president of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand.
He is also chairman of the Christchurch Cancer Foundation, a medical adviser to Bowel Cancer New Zealand and deputy chairman to the Australia-New Zealand bi-national bowel cancer register.
He said the determination of Ms Vining, Mr Pfeifer and many others to ensure the late Blair Vining’s dream of a charity hospital became a reality was inspirational.
The hospital will officially open on Friday.
