Health Ministry drops plans for new outpatient block at Mater Dei Hospital

Government has dropped plans for a new outpatient block at Mater Dei Hospital, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela has confirmed.
The new five-storey block for which planning permits were obtained in 2021 would have freed up space inside the hospital, which has been struggling with a lack of beds.

But now, in comments to Times of Malta, the health minister said the plans had already been ditched before he took over the health portfolio in January.

This is the first time that government has admitted the outpatient block will not be built despite millions being spent on designs and geological studies. Sources speaking to the newspaper said the reason for abandoning the project was a lack of funding.

Lack of funding
Over the past year government has come under fire over its inability to finance key infrastructure in the health sector because of money wasted on the now defunct Steward hospitals deal.

The deal was cancelled by the courts last year and described as ‘fraudulent’. None of the major contractual milestones were met, including a new general hospital in Gozo and the rehabilitation of St Luke’s Hospital for medical tourism services.
Apart from the new outpatient block, government had also promised a new mother and child hospital for which plans never materialised.

Plans to expand Mater Dei emergency

Last Thursday, Jo Etienne Abela is understood to have presented his plans to health officials, which would see all outpatient and daycare services transferred from Mater Dei to St Luke’s and Karin Grech hospitals in Gwardamanga. The latter two hospitals are now back in government hands after the Steward deal was cancelled.

This move would free up additional clinical space at Mater Dei, which would focus solely on emergency and inpatient care.

The minister wants Malta’s only general hospital to expand its emergency facilities to cope with the demands of a bigger population.
The overall plan, which appears to be at embryonic stage, would see all physiotherapy and rehabilitation services currently at Gwardamanga shifted to St Vincent de Paul in Luqa, which is the State’s largest home for the elderly.