Mater Dei expenditure

Total expenditure at Mater Dei Hospital on a cash basis issued by the Departmental Accounting System between last November and April amounted to €50,515,898.

Social Policy Minister John Dalli told Labour MP Silvio Parnis that this did not include the medical and pharmaceutical material, the cost of which amounted to €17,095,625, bringing the total cost up to €67,611,523.

Answering another question by Mr Parnis, the minister said the government pays the annual sum of €2.25 million, excluding VAT, for security at Mater Dei Hospital. The sum is paid to a contracted private company.

The government had 50 security guards at St Luke's Hospital, four of whom were assigned other duties within the Health Division. It paid €0.79 million a year in wages to these guards.