Finding new uses for St Luke's Hospital

Now that the dust has settled and Mater Dei Hospital is in full gear after a successful transfer from St Luke's Hospital and the initial teething troubles, the question often asked is what is to become of the St Luke's Hospital building?

How best can the government make use of it in the national interest? Everyone hopes that this structure will not be left to the mercy of vandals and thieves as has happened in the past with buildings left behind by the British Forces.

There is a lot that this building could be used for. One idea is to house government departments many of which are located in old buildings which surely do not meet modern requirements. For example, why not group all government revenue departments and transfer them there? The Inland Revenue Department needs to be moved from its present location as it is of great inconvenience to the public who have to move from one block to another irrespective of the weather conditions. The Social Services Department is hardly in the ideal place.

The building could also be taken over by the Education Department for use by Mcast, saving millions of euros and allowing the area at Corradino to be used to build another college.

I am sure there are more options. But the important thing is that the building is not left to become dilapidated. The government must make use of it without further delay.