Mater Dei Hospital requires 400 more beds to handle acute cases, according to Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia. The estimate is based on workings done by the Health Ministry after taking into account the country’s ageing population.

Malta’s average number of acute hospital beds when compared to the population was “much lower” than the EU average, he added.

The nurses’ union is clamouring for the building of a new hospital to solve the severe bed shortage at Mater Dei.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said yesterday that €8.4 million will be channelled towards the building of two medical wards. The project is expected to be completed by 2015.

“This is an expansion of Mater Dei. We will not be building an extra floor over all the hospital but only on one block. The project is expected to create an additional 68 beds for patients and is expected to be ready in two years time,” sources said. 

ksansone@timesofmalta.com

More in the Times of Mata and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com

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