Robert Abela commits to new Gozo hospital

Robert Abela has promised work on a  new Gozo hospital will start in this legislature as he deals with the fallout of the Steward debacle.
The Prime Minister made the announcement while speaking at a political event in Xagħra, Gozo. 

“Work on a new Gozo hospital has to begin in this legislature,” Abela said.

He added that the hospital will not only serve Gozitans but also complement the Barts medical school, which he described as a “most beautiful” investment of the past 10 years. The Barts school is an offshoot of the Queen Mary University of London.

The reference to a new Gozo hospital comes in the wake of a court decision that annulled the Steward hospitals concession contract concluded during the Muscat administration. The court attributed fraudulent behaviour to the private concessionaires and ordered that the Gozo, St Luke’s and Karin Grech hospitals be returned to the government.

The contract had obliged the private operator to build a new hospital in Gozo, among other commitments, but none were fulfilled.
The court ruling is subject to an appeal.

Adopting caution in his words not to prejudice the appeals process, Abela insisted a new Gozo hospital will be built “without the repetition of past mistakes.”

On Monday’s urgent parliamentary debate on the Steward hospitals concession, Robert Abela distanced himself from the Steward hospitals deal, insisting that none of the agreements cancelled by the court were entered into after January 2020.

During the parliamentary debate Abela did not call out anyone by name for the wrongdoings flagged by the court and also failed to apologise to the people. However, today, Abela dwelt on the importance of not being arrogant.

“We are not and will never be haughty. We have to listen to those who do not agree with us, even our harshest critics,” he said, warning that it was arrogance that brought down the Nationalist administration in 2012.

On Wednesday, a judge upheld the government’s request to shorten the timeframe in which Steward Healthcare could file an appeal.
Abela said that when the appeal is filed, government will ask for the case to be heard with urgency.