Sterilisation equipment at the Gozo General Hospital, which was bought in 1999, is out of order because of a lack of maintenance, according to Labour spokeswoman Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

This means surgical tools must be sent to Malta to be sterilised, risking a shortage of instruments for acute and emergency operations in Gozo.

The claim was later denied by the Gozo Ministry. But Dr Coleiro Preca said the situation showed that the Government had the wrong priorities and found money for secondary issues but not for crucial ones.

The Government should be ashamed of itself because it was not only risking the lives of those who needed urgent operations but GonziPN was treating Gozitans as “third-class citizens”.

In a statement, the Gozo Ministry confirmed that the sterilisation equipment was out of order but denied this resulted from lack of maintenance or that there were not enough instruments available.

Spare parts for the equipment have already been ordered and in the meantime the tools were being sent to Malta to be sterilised on the same day.