€1.4 million invested in new animal hospital replacing St Francis Centre, all new equipment and theatres
The newly inaugurated animal hospital at Ta’ Qali, that replaced the Ċentru San Franġisk animal hospital, has received investment of €1.4 million and is now truly a “fully-fledged hospital,” a spokesperson for Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Welfare said.
Asked to outline the changes carried out when converting from the old centre, to this new one, a spokesperson said:
“Following a change in operator, we now have a fully-fledged hospital rather than a centre which is what we had before.
“All of the equipment is new, of the latest technology and according to international standards. Infrastructural works were also carried out to redesign the entire building. In addition to this, a new drainage system was installed to replace the faulty old system.
“Bad workmanship with the old system led to the drainage pouring out into the adjacent fields. New flooring was laid, with total investment in the veterinary hospital reaching €1.4 million.
“There are now new operating theatres including those for soft tissue surgeries. There are also preparation rooms to handle dentistry and emergency cases and an in-house laboratory.
Catering for the lack of facilities for those students who wish to learn about veterinarian practices, the spokesperson revealed that “a board room was created to organise seminars and lectures for students and the general public”.
“There is also a quarantine area, and wards specifically provided for Animal Welfare and private patients separately. One may also find a veterinary pharmacy and a pet store. The hospital was designed with the latest technologies including an X-ray machine, ultra-sound machine and the like. In fact now the hospital is able to carry out cataracts surgeries.
“We have uploaded a video on Facebook where you can see for yourself the advancements made by the new operator.”
The video may be found on the Facebook page of Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Welfare Roderick Galdes.
The old centre, set up by the former government, had been closed for some months, with many people complaining that the costs of treating their pets had been far too high. When inaugurating the hospital, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that the government would ensure that prices were kept to a reasonable level, alleviating old fears by Malta’s pet owners.
Mr Galdes had said that payment of services offered would still be required for bringing in pets for treatment, however stray animals would be treated for free and NGOs working with animals would also receive special discounted rates.
“Today, when we talk about animal welfare, it’s not just a matter of taking dogs for their annual check-ups. This hospital will make it possible for animals to undergo orthopaedic interventions, cataracts surgery and other surgeries,” Mr Galdes had said.