The nurses’ union said it was assured by Health Minister Konrad Mizzi the only health centre to be privatised would be the one at Cospicua.
“MUMN was surprised to read in a particular newspaper that, in the Budget, it would be announced that polyclinics are to become privatised. The MUMN immediately contacted Dr Konrad Mizzi who assured MUMN that the government has no intention of privatising the polyclinics. Moreover, the principle of free health services will not change,” the union said.
The minister, it continued, had confirmed the building of new health centres in Paola and Kirkop would proceed as planned and be run by the Department of Health using government employees.
A separate public-private partnership project would be launched in Cospicua where the private sector would finance the refurbishment and operate the health centre on behalf of the government, the MUMN said.