Vitals Hospitals deal: development permits expired without work even starting, court told

Construction permits for jobs meant to be carried out by Vitals Global Healthcare on three Maltese hospitals had expired with works not even starting, a court has heard today.

Lawyer Edward Debono, appearing for former PN leader Adrian Delia in the case he had filed demanding the recission of the contract handed to Vitals, told Mr. Justice Francesco Depasquale that the construction works that should have been carried out at the three privatised hospitals: St. Luke’s, Karin Grech and the Gozo General Hospital, was so far just a large hole excavated in the Gozo hospital area.

Delia is asking the court to order the ownership of the three hospitals be returned to the State.

A representative from the Planning Authority today presented a number of documents in court today, which showed that many of the commencement notices presented for St. Luke’s Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital had remained on the shelf.

One unused permit for digging and earthmoving works was dated 15 October 2016 and was valid for five years, Debono pointed out. Another was issued in May 2016 under which no works had been carried out and yet another was due to expire on 14 September and to date, had not been used as works had not started.

The PA representative said there were other, pending, permits for urgent works at Gozo General Hospital filed by Steward Healthcare as well as a related, incomplete, application.

Asked by Delia whether the procedure on such permits was to send someone on site to see if the works were being carried out, the representative replied in the affirmative.

Debono had previously requested that the court conduct a site visit to see the lack of progress for itself, but said that this could be avoided if the parties “agree that the construction which should have taken place at the three hospitals in Malta is nothing except a hole in the ground, in the case of the Gozo hospital.”

State Advocate Chris Soler and lawyer Joseph Camilleri from the Office of the State Advocate were given three weeks to verify this information and present a note.

The case continues on 27 September.