€200 million investment to turn Gozo hospital, St Luke's into medical hubs

Konrad Mizzi announces Barts hospital project

Barts Medical School will be establishing their first overseas campus in Gozo while a €200 million investment by the private sector is expected to transform the Gozo General Hospital (GGH) and St Luke's Hospital in Guardamangia into medical hubs.

A request for proposals is expected to be issued soon in a bid to tap into medical tourism, considered to be a potential niche for Malta given the fluent use of the English language and a health service that already enjoys international appraisal.

The €200 million investment is expected to place services offered at GGH and St Luke's on par with, if not better than, Mater Dei Hospital.

The agreement with the Queen Mary University of London was signed this morning in a ceremony presided by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Professor Anthony Warrens, institute director at the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

The Barts campus in Gozo will be opening its doors in September 2016, welcoming some 300 students over five years.

Health Minister Konrad Mizzi and parliamentary secretary for health Chris Fearne reiterated that healthcare services for Maltese nationals will remain free.

"We are determined to improve facilities to a world class level, while increasing services offered and bed space. Healthcare will remain free for all," Mizzi said.

The whole health project is expected to generate some 1,200 jobs.

The ministers explained that the new private hospital in Gozo - for both Gozitans and medical tourists - would provide 250 new acute beds adding to the existing 200 geriatric beds bringing the total of beds in Gozo to 450.

Of the new 250 acute beds, 125 will be for Gozitan patients while government will be reserving 175 for geriatric patients.

The private investment and the setting up of the Barts Medical School will lead to a dedicated research and development centre and the development of a new primary health care centre within the precincts if the GGH.

"The plan is to ensure that Gozitans receive all the necessary healthcare services, eliminating the need to travel to Malta," Fearne and Mizzi said.

Karin Grech Hospital is set to become a fully-fledged geriatric hospital, offering 270 beds. St Luke's Hospital will be converted into an 80-bed rehabilitation centre, offering the the latest test facilities and technology in rehabilitation services.

The dermatology department, with 35,000 visitors a year, will be relocated from Sir Paul Boffa Hospital to St Luke's.

The full investment at St Luke's Hospital should lead to the creation of 250 beds for medical tourism.

"The key principle is that patients always come first. Although they will be managed by the private sector, workers will remain employed by the governemnt," Mizzi said. 

Fearne said that the Labour government found a highly professional workforce but underdeveloped primary healthcare. Mater Dei Hospital, although modern, was small.

"For Malta to meet the EU average, we need an additional 500 acute beds," he said. In 2012, Malta had a 256 acute beds capacity per 100,000 - well below the EU average.

Fearne said the conditions at GGH were substandard, equipment at St Luke's had been there since the 70s and Malta had limited geriatric facilities as well as a shortage of working staff.

"We increased 27 beds just by utilizing wasted space at Mater Dei. The opening of the oncology hospital provided 92 beds. The development of a medical tower at MDH will provide 300 new beds across three floors," he said.

The government is also set to aid the Hospice Movement build a hospital for 50 patients.

Mizzi and Fearne said the involvement of the private sector as part of the hospital management would help bring efficiency in the services offered.

"Medical tourism is a key component to facilitate the provision of free healthcare," Mizzi said, adding that without private investors tapping into the niche, an acute hospital in Gozo would not be possible.