Zammit Clapp Hospital, which has been closed for the past months, would be re-opened to free up more beds at Mater Dei Hospital, a spokesman for the Health Ministry confirmed.

Although there were no dates yet, the spokesman said Zammit Clapp– the former Blue Sisters Hospital – would provide 100 beds for people who required long-term care similar to that provided in a home for the elderly. Such patients, most of them elderly, are in hospital waiting to be moved to other institutions, like old people’s homes or rehabilitation centres.

In addition, the ministry is also planning to have an additional 60 beds at Karin Grech Rehabilitation Hospital.

The ministry said these were two of the measures being implemented to solve the chronic bed shortage at Mater Dei, which has been accentuated in past days.

The measures were mentioned by Health Minister Joe Cassar during an “informal, cordial and productive” meeting with John Zammit, president of the newly-set up Emergency Nurses Union, which had threatened a strike over the lack of beds at Mater Dei and the situation at the Emergency Department.

Earlier this week, the union complained about 12 patients had to wait for more than 18 hours for a bed after having been admitted to hospital. Others would be placed on stretchers to be treated in corridors.

Zammit Clapp had originally been earmarked as an oncology hospital, taking over the role of Boffa Hospital, but the government later decided to build a new oncology centre on the grounds of Mater Dei.

Last May, the last remaining patients were transferred from Zammit Clapp to Karin Grech so that the former could be transformed into an old people’s home.