Health Shadow Minister Claudette Buttigieg yesterday questioned whether the €200 million investment in a Gozo Hospital and the revamp of St Luke’s Hospital announced by the government meant the privatisation of the heath sector.

While welcoming the private sector investment in health facilities, she asked whether this was just the opening of a branch of Bart’s medical school, or whether there was more to it than that.

Dr Buttigieg was introducing a debate in Parliament on a Private Members’ Motion for patients to be treated by local private providers according to the EU regulations on cross-border healthcare.

How was the government announcing a €200 million investment when, at the same time, the Prime Minister has said a call for expressions of interest would be made? Was this a case where agreement had already been reached behind the people’s backs, but a deal was being announced now because of the local councils election campaign? Did the Labour Party hold meetings with the prospective investors before, or after the last general election?

How was the government announcing a €200m investment when the Prime Minister has said a call would be made?

Although the call for expressions of interest had not been issued, the Prime Minister’s speech was clear: he knew how much the investment would cost and he appeared to know who the investors would be, Ms Buttigieg said. The government appeared to be saying that this investment would heal the health sector’s ills. However, after having been promising a road map for so long, it was surprising that it had to turn to the private sector to solve the problems in the health sector.

The government, she said, needed to be clear with the people, the workers and the unions. Was the health service being privatised, starting from the Gozo hospital? The workers, including doctors, nurses and health professionals, needed to know if they would be able to work at the new Gozo hospital and St Luke’s. A proper explanation was due.

Furthermore, in order to bring about these projects, would the government need to engage foreign medical professionals?

Would this privatisation be totally dependant on the government and the Maltese, particularly in the context of health tourism? What did the government have in mind?

Concluding, Dr Buttigieg said this was an opportunity for the government and the Opposition to make a difference in the lives of Maltese and Gozitan patients. But more transparency, which for the last two years had been sorely lacking, was needed.