[WATCH] Footage shows shocking state of abandonment in St Luke’s Hospital

St Luke’s Hospital had to be refurbished by Steward Healthcare and used as a centre for medical tourism as part of the multi-million-euro concession agreement with government.

But failure by the concessionaire to invest the promised millions has left large parts of the hospital in an abandoned state.

Footage from inside the hospital building, broadcast by NET News reveals the extent of neglect, eight years after the concession was granted to Vitals Global Healthcare, and later transferred to Steward.

The footage, which was disseminated to all media by the Nationalist Party, shows halls, rooms and corridors in a state of complete abandonment.

On Tuesday, Opposition leader Bernard Grech led journalists on a short walkabout inside the grounds of St Luke's Hospital, pointing out the lack of investment in the building. He has called on government to shoulder political responsibility for the hospitals concession contract deemed to be fraudulent by the court.

Last week, Mr Justice Francesco Depasquale did not mince his words in a scathing judgment that annulled the contract and ordered the hospitals be returned to the government. The case to rescind the contract was instituted by Adrian Delia in 2018.

The Vitals deal, handled and negotiated by Konrad Mizzi, who was health minister in 2015, was described as “predetermined” by the National Audit Office as it pointed to collusion between investors and government officials when the tender was issued.

The contract saw Vitals being handed St Luke’s, Karin Grech and the Gozo General hospitals.

Less than two years after being granted the concession, VGH sold it to Steward Healthcare together with €55 million in accrued debts, for the nominal price of €1.

Mizzi remained responsible for the contractual aspects and dealings with VGH and Steward even after he was no longer health minister.

READ ALSO: Robert Abela fails to call out predecessor for Steward hospitals deal wrongs