Mater Dei Hospital work proceeding as planned - PM

"Substantial progress" has been made at Mater Dei Hospital, which is losing its construction site image and rapidly taking the shape of a hospital.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday that although it was an enormous challenge to bring the hospital together, everything was going according to the established plan to see it open as soon as possible.

Speaking during a tour of various parts of Mater Dei, Dr Gonzi said he was impressed by the progress made, adding that an impressive volume of work had been carried out.

He described the hospital as five-star, one which will bring about a leap in service. He said the government was committed to building the best possible hospital, adding that Mater Dei will be equipped with the most modern facilities to give patients the highest level of care.

In a few weeks' time, St Luke's Hospital staff will be invited to a familiarisation visit so that they can get used to their future workplace.

The public will also be able to visit the hospital shortly.

The transfer of services from St Luke's to Mater Dei Hospital should start soon after the new hospital is finalised, Dr Gonzi said.

Skanska Malta Joint Venture is bound to finish the hospital by July next year and will incur penalties running into millions of liri if this deadline is not respected.

While parts of the hospital are still under construction, others are rapidly moving toward completion. In fact, the Outpatients Department is almost finished and the Foundation for Medical Services is currently in the process of bringing in furniture and medical equipment.

The first of the wards in the main hospital will be handed over to the foundation in March and the remainder over the rest of the year.

All attempts are being made to make life easier both for the patients and the staff. Each bed in the 38 wards is equipped with a nurse-call panel, consisting of a number of facilities. Patients will be able to adjust the lighting system, speak to the nurse from their bed and there are also data, telephone and television outlets.

There might also be less need for running around from one side of the hospital to another to deliver medicines or take blood samples to be tested. Mater Dei is equipped with 81 pneumatic tube stations, which transport small items to and from other departments.

The hospital is not only intended to provide the best medical care to patients but also to teach future doctors. Speaking after a tour of the hospital, Dr Gonzi said every opportunity was taken to utilise the hospital as a teaching ground.

In fact, through the use of cameras, a surgical intervention can be viewed, and the surgeon's comments heard, by the students in another part of the hospital.

Five of the 25 operating theatres are dedicated to day surgery, which Health Minister Louis Deguara said would be the bulk of surgeries.

He explained that there was always the possibility that over time other theatres would be converted into ones for day surgery.

Dr Gonzi said Malta already had a very good health care service and the main aim was to improve it. He expressed his conviction that the medical staff were already giving the best service, and they deserved to have a better environment to work in. He said Malta had the capability to become the best in the world in this sector.

The Prime Minister said state-of-the-art equipment had been ordered with the aim of giving an optimum service to patients and also help the professionals do their job.

Mater Dei Hospital, Dr Gonzi said, will enable the health authorities to offer new services which could never be offered at St Luke's. The hospital will have offices for nursing officers and unions representing the workers as well as a nursery for children.