An external board of inquiry was set up yesterday to establish the facts and draw up a timeline of events on the building of Mater Dei Hospital.
The board, the Health Ministry said, would be analysing the criminal and civil liabilities which resulted from the inferior concrete used in some areas of the accident and emergency department.
The Sunday Times of Malta reported last week that, according to stress tests, concrete structures at the emergency department were so weak in certain areas they could not withstand the weight of two planned medical wards.
The board is made up of Judge Philip Sciberras as chairman and architect Joseph Scalpello and Karl Cini as members.
Political, technical and commercial responsibility must be shouldered, the government has said.
Speaking on One Radio yes-terday, Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne said the government had identified the alternative site for the two wards originally planned to be built above the emergency ward. Site plans were being drafted and these would then be submitted to Mepa for approval.
Referring to a Times of Malta report quoting former finance minister Tonio Fenech as saying he was “not completely surprised” at the news, Mr Fearne said he had “two major questions” to put to Mr Fenech.
“I am sure the board of inquiry will also wish to make these questions. If he knew that one could not build above the emergency department and that the helipad could not go on the roof, why did he not speak up when work was about to start? Why did he not inform me whenever we met in Parliament?
“Even worse, if he did know about all this why did he allow his colleague, former health minister Joe Cassar, to roll out the project?”
People must shoulder responsibility, he continued, not only because of the money spent but also because of the possible danger to the public. The government, he noted, took temporary measures to solidify the structure.
Mr Fearne said the emergency department needed to be extended. Twenty new doctors were recruited to work there and a further 20 nurses would be deployed next week.