A new building at Mater Dei hospital may see one contractor handing the baton to another halfway through the project.

Plans for the hospital’s expansion shifted from two floors originally planned on top of the emergency unit to a new building consisting of five storeys and a basement. The new plans were approved by the planning authority last week.

A tender had already been awarded for the construction of two floors above the emergency unit that would take an additional 68 beds. But the government said it was later advised that the structure was too weak to support the additional weight.

Plans were then submitted to the planning authority for a six-storey building adjacent to the emergency unit. The additional floors are meant to serve as a National Crisis Unit.

Asked whether a new tender would be issued since plans for the hospital’s expansion had resulted in a new project, the Health Ministry said the original tender awarded to Attard Bros and Mekkanika for the construction of two floors would be retained.

The ministry also said a new tender would be issued for the construction of additional floors in the same building.

A new tender will be issued for the construction of the National Crisis Unit which was not originally included in the expansion, the ministry said.

This could mean the construction of one building would be handled by different contractors, where one contractor gets commissioned to build the bottom half and another gets the top half – unless the new tender is also awarded to the same company, doubling the size of the project assigned.

In the new building, plant rooms will be located at basement level and at ground floor level. The first floor will host a ward containing 68 beds, reception area, treatment rooms and other utility areas.

The construction of these two floors will be handled by Attard Bros and Mekkanika and has to be completed by June if allocated EU funds are to be tapped. The project is estimated to cost €11.2 million, 85 per cent of which will be covered by the EU.