Labour MP Franco Mercieca said in parliament this evening that the project for a new Gozo Hospital and medical school would not reach its full potential unless priority was given to a tunnel or other permanent link between Malta and Gozo.

Speaking on the adjournment, Dr Mercieca said the difficulties for consultants to live permanently in Gozo were well known and amply demonstrated.

Even at present, although a consultant had been selected to take over from another at Gozo Hospital, he had a problem about taking up his position as he was a specialist in a branch of medicine which he could hardly practice in Gozo.  

Furthermore, taking up the position would cut him off from his family as his wife could not move to the island. 

His chances of career progression and private work would also be undermined.

This was a situation which Gozo had long faced, Dr Mercieca said. While good consultant jobs were offered, the Maltese found it difficult to take them up. 

He could recall how nobody wanted to take up the post of radiologist and it was held by an Indian who continued to work until he was 80. Another medical specialist worked well into his 70s as did a gynecologist who worked in Gozo until he was 75. All served Gozo well, but the fact that their contract needed to be repeatedly renewed showed the recruitment problems which the Gozo hospital faced.

These problems would continue to persist until there was a permanent link between Gozo and Malta.

Otherwise it would be difficult to get specialists to work in Gozo and to be present there for the really tough cases - rather than cold cases.  

Yet such consultants and specialists would be needed if the new 400-bed hospital was to achieve their full potential. The same applied to the planned new medical school, where specialists and consultants woudl be needed to lecture the students and also present them with the tough cases which would enable them to  make differential diagnosis.

The situation needed to be addressed as otherwise the health project could not take off and be fully realised," Dr Mercieca said.

Having a permanent link would ultimately mean that Gozitans would no longer feel themselves as being second class citizens. Indeed, it would even remove the need for a Gozo Ministry as Gozo would be fully integrated with Malta and its government branches would operate directly under the respective ministries.