Hospital maintenance costs €5m in nine months

Roderick Peresso

Nov 17th 2009, 23:17

Read Frank Portelli's comment please: in 2008 maintenance during the first 9 months were 6.3M; in 2009 4.9M, i.e. 22.5% less... that's quite an improvement!

David Meilak

Nov 17th 2009, 20:43

Most of these comments are ridiculious. To maintain a small car it costs at least Euro 600 a year, can you imagine a hospital as mater dei? Do you people expect lifts, equipment, heating, air flow systems, medical equipment, airconditioning, telephony , plumbing etc to work day in day out w/o maintenance? You people either live in never never land or actually do not own anything at all, but live in houses that resemble caves. Get a life, everything you use requires maintenance and it is all a Cost.

Get real people.

jmifsud

Nov 17th 2009, 19:42

Is the cost of the biomedical laboratories, which had to be redone immediately after the hospital was opened because they where not up to health standards required, included in this cost?

Sergio Galea Vincenti

Nov 17th 2009, 19:26

Well... this is interesting: What is more relevant is know what the nature of this 'maintenance' is and how this stands when compared to 'normal' maintenance should be for 'new' hospitals. The mind boggles as what this figure shall be in five or ten years' time!

What is even more important is to know what the actual additional operating costs of Mater Dei are as opposed to when St. Luke's Hospital was operating as I believe this would be even more shocking.

To really complete the picture, one needs to add the annual interest on the public debt servicing in relation to the capital cost of Mater Dei and then the picture shall be complete.

Somehow, I don't think Government shall answer all this... and then we are amazed when the public debt and budgetary deficit spiral out of control!

jmifsud

Nov 17th 2009, 18:02

Veru STATE OF THE ART

Frank Portelli 2BFRANK

Nov 17th 2009, 16:35

Last year maintenance costs at Mater Dei Hospital between January and September 2008 amounted to €6,311,752

PQ Minister John Dalli also replying to Anthony Agius Decelis (PL)

Dr Frank Portelli MD FRCS(Ed)

Mick Vella

Nov 17th 2009, 16:18

Very soon we'll have to change the name again to Mater Super Dejn.

M.Decelis

Nov 17th 2009, 15:15

5M well most of which is spent on repairs done deliberately by some narrow minded individuals. However it is a good sign that the hospital is kept in tip top condition.

M. Abela

Nov 17th 2009, 15:09

@ M.Tabone

Yes it is true that health care costs are increasing year by year. But please do appreciate it that Lawrence Gonzi's party came out weeks before the attention stating CLEARLY that the Health Care Facilities will be free of charge. After making some declaration, you would expect this to happen, seeing that it was a hot issue. At the time, he criticized PL for stating that PN had the objective to start providing health care at a cost.

So issa we're saying that PL is right?? Tidhaq bin nies on an issue as important as this?? Let us not forget that PL was one of the first countries in the world to provide the public with free healthcare. Other countries copies us. 'So Called' developed countries like US don't even have the humanity and decency towards those who can not afford Health Care. Instead, we criticize the public of accepting too much. Why not say that for once, we have something that foreing countries crave for having?

I would rather prefer that the government takes a look at how public money is spent rather than just blaming citizen expectation.

GONZI DAHAQ B'Kulhadd!!!

Lawrence Gauci

Nov 17th 2009, 15:03

Who are/is the contractor/s? 5 million in less than a year then i presume that the building is already falling apart. thank god we've got loads of money to throw away . Grazzi Sur Gonzi ta dan l- investiment

Tonio Bone

Nov 17th 2009, 14:07

@ Tony Abela.
No, this is pure maintenance. The majority of which may be maintenance contracts with all the suppliers of equipment such as airconditioning, lifts, ecc, ecc!!
@ C.Scerri & Savious Manicaro.
We all pay top dollar for our free health week in week out. Let's not mix things up. I am sure the many experts and consultants drew up a running cost exercise before everything was said and done.
@ to all.
This figure does NOT include water and electricity bills which were published a couple of weeks ago. This is PURE maintenance.
@ Michael Neville Cassar.
Excuse my bluntness but your comment on high heel shoes is ridiculous. This is a hospital not St John Co-Cathedral. The flooring should last a lifetime, including battering from high heels.
@ Mario Tabone.
Right you are. But I hope that these running costs that are coming out week in week out were taken into consideration. Int x'tahseb?
@ Laurence Gauci.
Weq, no updating here habib unless it is in maintenance contracts. For the most part these contracts are drawn to keep the items working efficiently and constantly. Updates are billed seperately!

Pamela Hansen

Nov 17th 2009, 14:06

I would have thought that the government had done their sums and took the upkeep of such a large project into consideration in the planning stage. If we could not afford to maintain such a "state of the art" hospital, maybe we should have settled for something less expensive to run.
But the omlette is now cooked and the milk is spilt.

Lawrence Gauci

Nov 17th 2009, 13:21

5 million in maintenance for a new hospital is worrying. 5 million in maintenance that include upgrading,purchasing and running the hospital is also worrying. In my opinion maintenance is just the activity involved in maintaining something in good working order thus not including upgrading of machinery and purchases of new machinery.What was the maintenance cost of our dear old St luke's?

r cutajar

Nov 17th 2009, 13:18

there are many ''social'' give aways for free to those who take advantage and abuse these systems
keep on bragging NOW

Mario Tabone

Nov 17th 2009, 13:15

What else do you want?
We have a brand new hospital that compares with those of much larger countries. We have all the mod cons in it and some of the best hospital staff you could wish for. Yes all this thanks to the present government but that is not the whole point.
The healthcare budget gets bigger and bigger with every passing year because as treatment gets better it gets more expensive. The same can be said for the running costs of these hospitals. Just be thankful that these facilities are available cause you never know when any one of us is going to need them. I suspect that in the future we might have to contribute more towards costs maybe through additional private insurance. If that happens then so be it, we cannot keep expecting to get everything for nothing. Look at other countries and you will realise that we are heading in the right direction .

Michael Neville Cassar

Nov 17th 2009, 13:10

Two things which I have noticed during visiting at Mater Dei hospital woman wearing high heels which damage the floors and the continuous lights during the day at zero level floor. Both of which can be controlled by a warning notice a use shoes with flat heels, and a timer switch for the lights.

Emily gatt

Nov 17th 2009, 12:48

Is this a joke??? Does this figure include electicity bills? If not i think the repair is being done with gold!

Definitely we will have to pay for health services in the future.

c.caruana

Nov 17th 2009, 12:41

@c.scerri
Who said that we have to pay? try to do some homewok and learn what is sustainable development!! We have to invest in photo voltaic pannels and solar pannels so we get the energy for FREE and of course we will NOT PAY for the hospital. As we are now, we are paying a lot of money to maintain this new hospital but with sustainable technology we can save our money!! UNDERSTOOD?

c.scerri@c.caruana

Nov 17th 2009, 12:24

What are you suggesting? Paying for our health services or note servicing Mater Dei? Or not having the latest technology?

Maybe this is a message for all those that use Mater Dei to take care of all its equipment, including doors, walls and floors so as to keep the upkeep costs to a minimum.

Savior Manicaro

Nov 17th 2009, 12:24

Stennew ftit. U li sa l'elezjoni li gejja l'isptar ikun bi hlas. Ilna nara sew issa nisimghu kemm hu spiza dan l'isptar il-gdid bla sodod.

tony abela

Nov 17th 2009, 12:21

I hope this statement is not correct.

€5m in 9months MAINTENCA COSTs for a hospital that was opened a year ago. What will be the maintence cost when the Hospital and all its equipment is 5years + old.

I hope the €5m is for running costs excluding manpower, that is electricity bill, cleaning, upkeeping, etc. Maintence for me is repair and servicing.

c.caruana

Nov 17th 2009, 11:33

where is SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?????? we are going to get lost like this...where are the ministers have to work for the future generations too?? i wonder!!