Vitals Global Healthcare, owned by a Singaporean investment firm has been selected as the preferred bidder for the new investment in the healthcare sector, the government announced.
The company was one of three which had made submissions for a services concession for the redevelopment, maintenance, management and operation of St. Luke’s Hospital, Karin Grech Rehabilitation Hospital and Gozo General Hospital.
Subject to statutory time periods, the preferred bidder is expected to be invited to discussions that will lead to the finalisation of project agreements, Projects Malta, which handled the bid, said.
Health and Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi said the investment will create 650 direct and indirect jobs.
He said Vitalis will build a state-of-the-art acute general hospital in Gozo
with 150 private beds for medical tourism and 125 contracted to the State health service.
The Gozo hospital will have an additional 175 long-term beds for use by the public health service for rehabilitation,geriatric and psychiatric services.
Vitalis will also build the medical school and campus to be used by Barts Medical School.
St Luke’s Hospital will have220 private beds and specialise in orthopaedics, cardiovascular diseases and prosthetics. It will also include an 80-bed
rehabilitation centre for use by the public health service.
Karin Grech Hospital,which is currently being used as a rehabilitation centre,
will be transformed into a 320-bed geriatric public hospital.
DrMizzi said the government will buy the agreed bedspace at a fixed cost, bar adjustments for inflation. The cost per bed will be “significantly lower” than the cost of a bed at Mater Dei Hospital
The investment is of some €200 million.
MUMN REACTION
In a statement, the MUMN nurses' union said it would continue talks on the projects with the government, aimed at ensuring that despite private sector in involvement, the working conditions of its members and the level of patient care continued to improve.
The union said it also intends to hold talks with investors.
It said it was concerned about the current shortage of nurses and was working with the government to address the issue. The planned opening of a new nursing school would also help improve matters.