Northern health hub a ‘mathematical impossibility’ in short term, health minister says

Efforts to establish a Northern hub in Malta’s healthcare system remain unfeasible, with Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela describing the project as a “mathematical impossibility” due to the critical shortage of human resources in the sector.

During a debate with PN spokesperson Adrian Delia on Xtra, aired on TVM on Monday, minister Abela outlined the significant challenges that make the establishment of a Northern Hub impractical for the foreseeable future.

“At present, with the human resources we have, creating a Northern hub is a mathematical impossibility,” he said. 

In 2023, a regional health centre was proposed in Qawra on land currently used as a car park near the Mavina, Santana, and Euroclub hotels. The plan included an underground car park for 864 cars and a public open space. The building, intended to house the health centre, would have occupied a footprint of 3,500 square metres and risen to five storeys.

However, the proposal faced backlash just days after the controversial uprooting of trees in Mosta, prompting concerns over the environmental impact. Residents, supported by the Greens Party, organised protests over the potential loss of trees in the area. In response, then-Health Minister Chris Fearne announced revisions to the plans in December, which aimed to protect several mature Ficus trees.

Despite these amendments, the Northern Hub project has now been shelved altogether.

He elaborated that opening a Northern hub would require an additional 75 doctors, a figure that is currently unattainable. “When I said that doctors and nurses don’t grow on trees, the PN media mocked me for it, but it’s the truth,” Abela remarked. “To have 75 extra doctors in Malta, it would take three years, and young doctors must remain interested in working in primary care.”

When asked by host Kurt Sansone whether starting work on the Northern hub today would make a difference, Abela responded negatively. “Even if we start today, the benefits would only begin to show in about four years,” Sansone remarked, to which the minister added that even then, there would be no guarantee of having enough doctors.

“The Northern Hub was part of plans made before these hospitals were handed back to the government. The government’s vision now is to develop St. Luke’s, Karin Grech, and Gozo General Hospital into relatively large hospitals,” he explained.

“When I think about how we’ll staff these three hospitals, it also makes me lose hope – let alone trying to think about a Northern Hub as well,” he admitted.