The Labour Party will be announcing its plan for the health sector in the coming days. This would be based on the principle that healthcare should remain free for all, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.

Speaking during a visit to Capua Hospital in Sliema, Dr Muscat said that there could be more collaboration with the private sector, such as in services which were currently being sought abroad. It was commercially more viable for such services to be given in Malta, he said.

He said when asked that Labour was committed to the provision of IVF from public hospitals free of charge and also in partnership with the private sector.

The law which had been approved by Parliament, was the fruit of compromise between the government and the opposition and it had to be given a chance.

Dr Muscat said a commission set up between representatives of the public sector and private stakeholders should be set up for better and more thoughtful planning of health issues.

Investment should be complementary and healthcare should lead to job creation through more collaboration especially in healthcare tourism.

More students should be encouraged to take up healthcare for the country to avoid importing foreigners to work in the sector because of a lack of nationals trained for the purpose.

St James Group chairman Josie Muscat called for more public private partnerships. He said there should be income tax rebates on private health insurances and health tourism should be better promoted.

He also spoke on the burdens of the water and electricity tariffs and looked forward to the promised reductions in the rates, as promised by Labour.

In a statement in the evening, the PN said it was only the Nationalist Party that could guarantee free healthcare.