(a) A hospital authority shall have the power to issue revenue bonds under the Local Government Revenue Bond Act, Chapter 159 of the General Statutes, Article 5, or the bond and revenue anticipation provisions of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes, Article 9, for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, reconstructing, improving, enlarging, bettering, equipping, extending or operating hospital facilities.
(b) A hospital authority shall have the power to borrow for the purposes above enumerated upon its notes or other evidences of indebtedness, subject to the approval of the Local Government Commission as provided in G.S. 131E-32(c). Such approval shall be required regardless of the amount of any such borrowing. Any borrowing by a hospital authority before the date of ratification of Part 2 of Article 2 of this Chapter, whether or not approved by the Local Government Commission, is valid, ratified and confirmed.