A dual membership drive may decide the future of the McLaren Vale & Districts War Memorial Hospital.

The 21-bed hospital was due to close on 30 June after its board determined it was not financially viable to keep it open.

It proposed a merger with the James Brown Memorial Trust, which operates not-for-profit aged care provider Kalyra.

A group of McLaren Vale residents has been campaigning against the merger, objecting to ‘handing over’ a community asset and alleging that not all avenues to keep the hospital open have been explored.

Kalyra has committed to maintaining all the services currently operating from the site, except for the hospital itself.

A special general meeting of hospital members held on 5 May fell just short of the 75 per cent vote required to approve the merger. At that stage there were 65 hospital members.

The board had signalled its intention to resign should the membership vote against the proposed merger, but instead called a further special general meeting for 4 July.

Since the decision was announced in March, merger opponents have been urging the community to take out hospital membership to enable them to have a say on its future.

Kalyra CEO Sara Blunt wrote to residents of its McLaren Vale Retirement Village on 11 May, putting its side of the question and asking them to take out hospital membership.

The deadline for new member eligibility to vote was Monday 5 June.

The state government has provided annual funding of $900,000 since 2020 to run the hospital but has declined to fully take it on.

Details of the McLaren Vale & Districts War Memorial Hospital board’s position can be found on the hospital website.

Merger opponents have established a Facebook group as part of their campaign.

The Kalyra CEO’s letter has been published on the McLaren Vale & Districts Facebook page.