Mater Dei Hospital (2)

People who might have been upset by at least two separate media claims that Mater Dei Hospital has cost around twice recently built, similarly-sized and equipped UK NHS hospitals, are missing the point.  

The point is not that we do not deserve the luxury of Mater Dei.  The point is that if indeed Mater Dei cost us taxpayers around twice what it should have, for an adequately equipped hospital of that size, this must have had negative consequences on other sectors of our social services and economy.

The three per cent hike in VAT was said to be aimed at funding Mater Dei. This raised the cost of most goods and services in Malta and, not only didn't improve our competitiveness, but also hit hardest the less well-off.  

The claimed increased costs of Mater Dei (around Lm100 million) may not only have hindered supply of new very expensive drugs (increasingly the crux of modern medicine) for free by our health service, but might also have prevented better financial help for our claimed thousands under the poverty line.  

Yes, we do deserve Mater Dei, but our economy and social services (and law-abiding taxpayers) may have paid an excessive price.  Mind you, the same may be said for not having closed Malta Drydocks (and offered a golden handshake to workers) around 15 years ago.