Government unveils master plan for Gozo general hospital

A new master plan for the Gozo general hospital was revealed on Friday by the Minister for Health and Active Ageing, JoEtienne Abela.

The Minister said that on one side of the hospital, geological investigations are taking place to ensure that it is safe to build on. The master plan shows that a new acute hospital is going to be built, which will have a capacity for 400 beds.

Until works are complete, the current hospital will continue operating as is. The plan is also for the current hospital building to also be demolished and replaced by other plans.

Currently, the Government said that it is in the planning phase, and that the project will cost around €153 million. The masterplan also includes a research centre, a rehabilitation centre, an anatomy centre and a child development assessment unit.

The Gozo General Hospital was, until recently, under the management of Steward Health Care. It was one of three hospitals that formed part of a concession, whereby Steward, and before them Vitals Global Healthcare, was given control over them. The Government paid millions of taxpayers’ funds to the concessionaire. The concessionaire was meant to build a new building at the hospital.

Last year, the courts annulled the hospitals deal, in a judgement that mentioned fraud, a decision that was confirmed by the Court of Appeal in a judgement that mentioned collusion.

“The court understands that the works of a new building at the Gozo General Hospital has not been concluded by this date”, the court judgement that annulled the hospitals deal read.

When questioned about how the Government is planning to recover its credibility in the sector following the courts’ judgement on the hospitals deal, he said that “health” does not look at controversy or elections, “but only towards the future”. He said that the master plan announced on Friday is the Government’s vision for the future, and that Gozitans need a new hospital.