€50 million Ċensu Moran Regional Health Centre inaugurated

Prime Minister Robert Abela on Monday inaugurated the Ċensu Moran Regional Health Centre, the first secondary hospital on the Maltese islands, representing an investment of around €50 million.

“This is not only a new building, but a declaration of our national vision, that of a country determined to provide everyone with access to modern, dignified, and effective care,” said Prime Minister Robert Abela.

The Ċensu Moran Regional Health Centre comprises six medical and three technical floors. The facility has already been operating for several weeks, offering over 50 different medical services to thousands of patients, including outpatient services such as podiatry, physiotherapy, respiratory medicine, and immunology.

In the near future, the services offered by this Centre will increase to 150. Patients are now being served in a modern and comfortable environment, equipped with state-of-the-art medical technology.

The opening of the Censu Moran Health Centre follows years of delays and public scrutiny. Originally announced in 2016 as part of a broader effort to decentralise healthcare services and modernise primary care across Malta, the project faced repeated setbacks.

Construction was hindered by issues related to tendering, changes in project scope, and questions over contractor performance, which contributed to a prolonged timeline and cost overruns.

The project also drew political criticism, particularly over its association with the controversial hospitals privatisation deal involving Vitals Global Healthcare and later Steward Health Care.

Abela noted Malta is currently among the countries with the highest levels of confidence in public health services. Despite this, the Prime Minister emphasised that the Government remains committed to continue investing in the health sector so that this confidence continues to grow.

“When we invest in health, we are investing in Malta’s future,” added Robert Abela, referring to the naming of the centre in honour of former Health Minister Ċensu Moran, who made a lasting contribution to the national health sector.

This hospital forms part of a broader vision for the modernisation of Malta’s health sector, alongside investments in primary care centres, mental health services, and digital medical systems.

“Our goal is one: to build a health system that is ever stronger, more resilient, inclusive, and accessible. A system of quality, but above all, one that keeps people at its centre,” concluded Abela.

Minister for Health and Active Ageing, Jo Etienne Abela, thanked the Foundation for Medical Services and the various contractors who worked tirelessly to deliver this project, ensuring it was equipped and certified to the highest standards.

Abela described the Ċensu Moran Regional Health Centre as a “living project”, reflecting the dynamism of the services it provides. “This Centre is unique because it brings together collaboration across primary, secondary, and tertiary health care,” said Minister Jo Etienne Abela, adding that outpatient and day-case services are being rapidly introduced under the direction of secondary care.

The minister stressed that the regional centre is crucial for Mater Dei Hospital to continue flourishing as an in-patients hospital.

“I am confident this is only the beginning of a new and beautiful chapter for the benefit of our country’s citizens,” he concluded.