A building that was formerly used as a bank in Lascaris Wharf has been chosen as the location for the long-promised national breast-screening programme.

The building earmarked for the clinic will be officially transferred from the government to the health secretariat next Friday.

The screening programme, expected to be launched by September, will see about 30,000 women being called in for screening over three years. The programme has been long in the making. In December 2007, then Health Minister Louis Deguara had said it should be "up and running in a short time".

However, the proposal then drew harsh criticism from doctors who said its implementation was not possible due to lack of human and financial resources.

The programme never saw the light of day until last November's budget, when the government allocated €700,000 for it.

A spokesman for the Parliamentary Secretariat for Health said the Foundation for Medical Services had visited two potential sites in Birkirkara but these were not suitable.

The building in Valletta was found with the collaboration of the Land Department. On visiting the site, health and FMS officials were satisfied with its central location.

The spokesman said the building, which up to two weeks ago was used as a bank outlet, is in very good condition.

Initial screening will be done through a mammogram but a number of women will be screened further through a combination of X-ray images, magnified views, ultrasounds and guided tissue samples if required.