The foreign investors planning to redevelop the Gozo General Hospital have yet to file an application at the Planning Authority though talks on the necessary documentation have been held, the Times of Malta is informed.
The government has said the management of the Gozo hospital was expected to be transferred to the private investors “in the coming days”. Medical staff at the Gozo, St Luke’s and Karin Grech hospitals have been told by Ram Tumuluri, a representative of the Vitalis Global Healthcare Group, “to expect tower cranes” on site in the coming days.
A Planning Authority spokesman told this newspaper there was no planning application by Vitalis for the Gozo hospital. “Discussions were held with the architects regarding the documentation required to submit an application,” he added.
“In agreement with the Planning Authority, works to study the required strength of the hospital piling are being carried out by architects in line with the provisions of a legal notice issued this year,” he said.
The spokesman noted that applications were filed for St Luke’s and Karin Grech hospitals. “The Planning Authority is in receipt of a planning application for the restoration of the elevation of the main building within St Luke’s Hospital complex,” he said.
Discussions were held with the architects regarding the documentation
Asked for the file number of the application, the spokesman said the application “is still not validated and so there is no PA number yet”.
Details on the agreement signed by the government and the Vitalis Group are very scarce and the contracts have yet to be published.
Negotiations with the Vitalis Group on the €200 million investment had been conducted on behalf of the Maltese government by former Health Mnister Konrad Mizzi. However, the project is now being handled by new Health Minister Chris Fearne following a Cabinet reshuffle in which Dr Mizzi was stripped of his health and energy portfolios and made Minister without Portfolio.
Earlier this week, hospital staff were summoned for hastily-arranged meetings with Mr Tumuluri who assured them that nothing would change even though Vitalis would be taking over the hospitals management.
Three unions out of the four representing healthcare employees – the UĦM, the MUMN and the MAM – have declared that, unless they were briefed by the government about the details of the takeover, they would refuse to endorse the deal.
On the other hand, the GWU said it was satisfied with the response it was getting from its members.
ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com