Mater Dei Hospital is at the disposal of badly injured Libyan civilians who require urgent medical assistance, according to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
Malta was recently close to receiving a small group of around 50 patients who required treatment but the plan changed at the last minute as another “faster alternative” had been found, he said.
Last week, The Times reported that international aid group Médecins Sans Frontières was “assessing the possibility” of bringing wounded Libyans to Malta for humanitarian assistance.
It followed a report in the New York Times which quoted rebels in Libya saying the port of Misurata – which has been under siege for weeks – would be used as an outlet to make arrangements with MSF to evacuate about 50 of their wounded by boat to Malta.
Since the Libyan crisis erupted last month, Malta took on the role of evacuation hub to help foreigners in Libya to return home.
Dr Gonzi reiterated that Malta would do anything in its power to provide and assist with the provision of humanitarian aid to Libyan civilians.
Malta had from the outset insisted it would continue providing humanitarian assistance when needed and had shown this by assisting in the evacuation of thousands of people of different nationalities from Libya when the conflict started.
Dr Gonzi confirmed a story published by The Times yesterday which quoted a member of the Libyan-Maltese group sending aid to places like Misurata.
“The Times got it right. There is a person in my office who is acting as the liaison officer to facilitate sending aid to Libya’s worst-hit cities. This is what the government had said from the very beginning: We will continue providing humanitarian assistance where needed, and this is what we’re doing.”
A member of the group said that, whenever they encountered a problem or got wind of a forthcoming attack on civilians, they informed the government’s liaison officer and “action was taken” promptly by the now Nato-led coalition forces.
So far three boats have made it to Misurata from Malta, enabling almost €2 million worth of food and medicines to reach rebel-held cities.
Dr Gonzi did not wish to enter into specifics of how the operation is dealt with but insisted Malta would continue being pivotal in its humanitarian role.
“These are risky operations because... ships with aid from Malta encounter problems on their way to their destinations. Risky as they are, Malta will continue providing humanitarian assistance to help those in need,” he said.