Government clarifies Barts agreement is ‘fully executed final contract’
Economy Ministry issues clarification after economy minister says agreement with Barts Medical School is just ‘a memorandum of understanding’
Dean of Barts Medical School Prof. Anthony Warrens (right) and Malta Enterprise Chairman Mario Vella
The government issued a clarification on Thursday after Economy Minister Chris Cardon told parliament that an agreement between the government and Barts Medical School was still just “a memorandum of understanding”.
“The document is a fully executed final contract,” the Ministry for the Economy said today.
The document was signed in Gozo on 18 March between Barts and the London School of Medicine & Dentistry (Barts), Queen Mary University of London and the Maltese government.
The contract provides for commitments and obligations from both sides. Some obligations of Government, such as clinical placements for students, can be shared – with the approval of Barts - with the private sector once an investor is selected for the running of the Gozo Hospital and of St Luke’s Hospital.
The Barts Medical School will be constructed on the precincts of the Gozo General Hospital.
“The lease agreement has already been discussed and agreed to between the parties and will be signed when the premises are completed,” the Ministry said.
The first intake of 60 students at Barts in Gozo is expected in September next year. It is forecast that the number of students could go up to 300 over a five-year period, targeting students from North America, the UK, Europe and the Middle East.
