Government spending more on hospitals after fraudulent Steward deal annulled

Health minister Chris Fearne has insisted that government is not spending less to operate the Gozo General Hospital when compared to 2023, when the hospital was administered by Steward Healthcare. 

Fearne made reference to the fact that Monday's budget estimates show that Malta will pay €42,994,000 in recurrent expenditure, while government allocated €50,424,000 the year prior, with Steward at its helm. Budget 2024 comes exactly one week after the Court of Appeal had dismissed Steward Healthcare’s appeal against the decision to annul the hospitals' privatisation deal.

In parliament Fearne stated that when Steward was still responsible for the hospital, government would deliver one payment that would be included in one line item in government's budget estimates. This year, Fearne said, the hospitals are back in government's hands, and so the expenditure on the hospitals is listed in different line items.

Fearne pointed out a separate line item further down in government's estimates, showing that government will allocate an additional €9,000,000 to "Property, Plant and Equipment" towards the Gozo General Hospital.

Fearne noted that when this is added up to the recurrent expenditure, the amount government will spend on this hospital will be almost €2,000,000 more than it did in 2023.