A new Department of Surgery was inaugurated by the Prime Minister at Gozo General Hospital this afternoon - hours after Dr Gonzi inaugurated new PET and CT scan equipment at Mater Dei Hospital.

The new Department of Surgery, co-funded by the European Union, is part of a €3.8 million which also includes a new radiology department.

As he inaugurated the department, Dr Gonzi announced plans for a child development centre adjacent to the Gozo Hospital and said that had it not been for EU membership Malta would not have benefitted from at least €50 million in assistance for health projects.

Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono said the new surgery department was set up after part of the 40-year-old hospital was restructured with the removal of asbestos ceilings.

The new radiology department has a digital link to Mater Dei Hospital.

In her address Mrs Debono pointed out that CT scanning and mammography had been introduced at Gozo General Hospital.

The surgery department also included new equipment which would reduce the need for Gozitans to cross to Malta for surgical procedures.

There were two operation theatres and a smaller theatre for minor interventions, such as endoscopies.

Nearly 3,500 people used the services of the radiology clinic since it was opened last year, 22,000 X-Rays were taken together with 3,000 scans, 1,250 mammograms and 7,100 ultrasounds.

The minister said that other projects currently underway at Gozo Hospital included new equipment for the chemotherapy unit, a new mineral bone density unit and the purchase of two new ambulances.

Video conferencing facilities for staff training were also to be installed.

She said that work on a €6 million project, also co-financed by the EU, to roll out the air-conditioning unit throughout the whole hospital and install photovoltaic units had been embarked upon.

The minister said that €1.5 million were invested in a system connecting the Gozo Hospital to Mater Dei making X-rays available to both hospital on the health IT system.