Health Minister Chris Fearne gave a brief outline of works currently in hand on the building of a medical school in Gozo and the rehabilitation of St Luke’s Hospital when he answered a parliamentary question by Labour MP Glenn Bedingfield this evening.

He said that excavation works for the building of the new Barts Medical School in Gozo were held up for a few weeks after the discovery of ancient Roman trenches/graves.

After an inspection by the Superintendent of National Heritage and agreement on a conservation plan, works resumed and were now back on track, he said. The building is expected to be completed in April.

At St Luke’s, he said work (by Vitals Global healthcare) focused on stripping and removing old equipment and cladding, some of which needed particular attention because of asbestos,

With much of that work completed, work had started on the facades.

Permits were being awaited from Mepa and the Superintendence of National Heritage for the demolition of the old kitchen.

Works were also in hand on the sites of the former Hyperbaric Unit and the former students’ and doctors’ quarters and medical records buildings so that, in a few months, a new unit could be opened specialising on prosthesis and orthotics.

The new unit will be administered by a leading American company (Medical Center O&P) which even supplies the US army.