Gozo gets its first private day hospital

Saint James Hospital Group has inaugurated a hospital for day cases in Ghajnsielem, the only venture in the private health sector on the sister island.

The hospital, which was inaugurated and officially opened by Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono yesterday, will also operate as an outpatient clinic and has its own private parking facilities.

The new hospital offers a wide range of services including digital radiology, CT scanning, ultrasound scanning, echo cardiography, breast screening including mammography, stress ECG testing and a laboratory service.

The facility also offers specialised dermatology services including innovative treatments such as Botox injections for the treatment of wrinkles, dermal fillers, lip augmentation, long term laser hair removal and laser treatment for thread veins.

The hospital also boasts two operating theatres including an adult and paediatric endoscopy unit.

Group managing director Josie Muscat said Saint James was rewriting history. "Between 1970 and 1977 a hospital called Trionfi run by the nuns existed in Gozo and this provided elective surgery once a week. However, emergencies had to be shuttled to Malta by luzzu," Dr Muscat said.

"In 1975, St Dominic's was opened, but this closed down after a year, so Saint James felt the need to open this hospital for the benefit of all the Gozitans," he said.

Mrs Debono praised the Saint James Hospital Group for venturing into the health service in Gozo and said this hospital would eliminate the inconvenience of having to travel to Malta for certain services.

Mrs Debono pointed out that Gozitans were increasingly opting for private facilities, so the new Saint James Hospital in Gozo provided a welcome choice.

The Saint James Hospital Group already owns and operates a 17-bed hospital in Zabbar, an 80-bed hospital in Sliema, a dedicated cosmetic dermatology clinic by the name of Transforma in Attard, a specialised eye clinic in Sliema and an outpatient clinic in Mosta.