Bill Day is the chair of both the Life Flight Trust and the Wellington Hospitals Foundation. He is also a member of Port Nicholson Rotary. Bill spoke at Rotary Karori on 28 March.Wellington has had a purpose-built children's hospital since 1912, the first in New Zealand. The building was demolished in 1988 and replaced with a children's ward, now in need of replacement.
In 2020, a new Wellington Regional Children's Hospital will open.
The story of the new hospital reflects the ambition and vision of the Foundation and the generosity of Wellington businessman Mark Dunajtschik. In June 2017, it was announced that Mark would pay for, build and gift the entire facility.
The Government will fund supporting infrastructure while the Foundation is raising $5 million for the fit-out of the hospital and state of the art equipment including wellness and child friendly areas.
The hospital has been designed with the needs of children and their families in mind. The goal is that the rooms should be the least clinical looking as possible.
Once opened, the hospital will serve a regional catchment including Taranaki across to the Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Wellington and Marlborough.