The 200-bed St John Paul II Hospital located within Smart City, and specialising in orthopaedics and neurosurgery, is set to start operating in two years’ time following a €100 million investment by a private company.
The hospital, which Health Minister Konrad Mizzi said would employ 500 staff, will include a cadaver lab for research and education, a sports medicine centre and offer “personalised medicine” technology that allows for tailored therapy.
The company, Synesis Limited, is made up of a team of managers and medical professionals with experience in the healthcare field, most of whom are Italian, explained director Francesco Rosi.
He was speaking during the official unveiling of the agreement between the company and Smart City Malta, one week after The Sunday Times of Malta broke the story.
Dr Rosi said they chose to operate from Smart City in Xagħjra for a variety of reasons, including the “intelligent infrastructure” and the surrounding landscape that provided the ideal place for respite.
As he gave an overview of the project he was flanked by other members of the Maltese-registered company, including managing director Steve Carter, the only Maltese member.
Dr Rosi said they aimed to create a medical centre of excellence that would mainly offer surgical and outpatients’ services in orthopaedics. There would be no emergency services and all operations would be scheduled and include neurosurgery.
Other services will include day-procedures in the urological, ophthalmology, angiology and dental fields.
He stressed that the hospital was open to collaboration with Maltese medical professionals, the University of Malta and other medical training institutions.
It will operate in strategic alliance with Johnson and Johnson Medical that will also be involved in the research and technology aspect. The hospital will also include a sports medicine centre.
He said the company would also launch the Mediterranean Institute for Personalised Medicine, new to Malta, which would offer innovative technology that allowed for tailor-made treatment to be offered following molecular mapping of individual patients.
The hospital would also have a foundation for social projects and ties had already been established with NGO Dynamo Camp Association that specialising in therapy programmes for children and teens with chronic conditions.
Yesterday’s event was attended by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Dr Mizzi and Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne.
Dr Muscat said such a project also helped achieve the change in gear at Smart City Malta, which was in the doldrums two years ago.
This newspaper reported last week that plans have not yet been submitted to the planning authority but informal discussions have been held with Mepa for the eventual fast-tracking of the necessary permits.
Sources said instructions had been given by the Office of the Prime Minister not to divulge any information about the deal yet, as Dr Muscat would have liked to use the “positive investment” news closer to the April 11 local elections.
In numbers
• The project will take up 23,500 square metres.
• The health facility will take up 16,000 square metres.
• 8,000 square metres will be dedicated to the sports medicine centre.
• An underlying car park will provide 500 spaces.
• 500 people will be employed.
• The 200 beds will be located in 200 rooms, including 50 suites.