Gozitan cardiac patient died because of helicopter delay, MP insists

The Nationalist MP Chris Said has insisted that a Gozitan heart patient lost his life when a helicopter intended to transfer him to Malta was delayed.

“The patient was reported to have been taken to the Gozo hospital at 10am, and should have been taken to Malta’s Mater Dei Hospital by helicopter by Steward Healthcare, which runs the Gozo hospital, but the helicopter was not available and the patient suffered another cardiac arrest in Gozo. He died at 4:30pm in Malta after he was taken to hospital there,” Said said.

The MP sad the incident, which has been denied by Gozo hospital authorities – who insist the helicopter was functioning at the time – was being hidden by the authorities and blamed it on the privatisation of Gozitan healthcare.

READ MORE Gozo helicopter case to be investigated by health ministry

The Gozo hospital was privatised and delegated to the Vitals Global Healthcare company, before it was sold off to US healthcare giant Steward.

“The Maltese government is paying Steward €1.2 million a year for the helicopter service – which can be compared to the annual average €28,000 that it paid to the Armed Forces for the same service,” he said, referring to an €800 cost for each the 35 AFM flights that took place in a year, on average.

“This is not the first case in which the Steward helicopter was not available to airlift patients to Malta,” Said said.

“It is clear privatisation of the hospital has cost Gozitans their health, and the authorities have to shoulder responsibility for this case. This truly requires an independent inquiry.”