There is no sight yet of an American takeover at St James Hospital, in Sliema, although negotiations were close to being wrapped up in March.

Hospital owner Josie Muscat would only say yesterday that the “negotiations were still not concluded”. He would not say whether talks were continuing with the American-Pakistani investors mentioned in March or if new investors had stepped in.

He did add, however, that the building of the company’s new hospital in Bulebel was “still under way”.

The Saint James Hospital Group was founded in 1984 by the doctor and former Nationalist MP, growing and expanding over the decades. In March, when news of the potential sale to the American-Pakistani investors had leaked, Dr Muscat had said the name Saint James would be retained.

He stressed that the company’s other medical facilities in Żabbar, Tarxien, Żebbuġ and Burmarrad were not part of the deal and would be renamed Santa Maria.

Asked if the new Bulebel hospital would also be called Santa Maria, Dr Muscat replied yesterday: “I’d rather not say anything at the moment; things are changing every day.”

He emphasised that, for his 230-strong workforce, everything was still business as usual.

The Maltese hospital group obtained a planning permit last January for a 61-bed hospital in the outskirts of Żejtun and Tarxien. The hospital is expected to employ 156 full-timers and 33 part-timers.

Dr Muscat bought the 80-bed Capua Hospital in Sliema from entrepreneur Anġlu Xuereb in 2002 for an undisclosed sum. It was renamed Saint James (Capua) Hospital and offered various services ranging from surgical interventions to in-vitro fertilisation.

The latest set of accounts filed at the Registry of Companies for Saint James (Capua) Hospital Ltd, pertaining to 2012, show that the hospital had a revenue of €13.3 million and registered a loss of €341,804 for the year. In the previous year, it had registered a profit of almost €500,000.

The accounts show the Sliema hospital has assets worth €26.6 million and €18 million in liabilities.