Work on the new Barts campus at Gozo Hospital has ground to a halt just two months after starting.

Meanwhile, hospital employees who had to move after an old block was demolished have been relocated to makeshift offices. However, the Health Ministry is insisting that works have stopped due to archaeological findings.

Spearheaded by Vitals Global Healthcare, which has been given a 30-year concession to run three State hospitals, including Gozo, the campus project has been dogged by delays.

According to the agreement, signed in 2015, the new medical school, run by Barts and the London School of Medicine and Surgery, was meant to receive the first intake of 60 students last September.

The campus, say the revised plans, is to be completed by end 2018

However, the slow progress on the building adjacent to the Gozo General Hospital resulted in a one-year delay. Furthermore, tuition will not be offered from the new campus but at the Gozo sixth form in Victoria until the new premises are available.

Work on the facility started last March, when part of the hospital was demolished to make way for the campus, which, according to the revised plans, is set to be completed by the end of 2018.

The event was even marked by a news conference addressed by ministers Konrad Mizzi and Anton Refalo.

Three months later, work seems to have stalled – fuelling fresh doubts about the completion date.

This was confirmed following an on-site visit carried out by this newspaper, from which it emerged that the site was devoid of activity, with a number of construction vehicles abandoned in the middle of it.

Replying to questions from this newspaper a Health Ministry spokeswoman said demolition works, as well as the new pharmacy stores, general stores, hospital foyer and new dental department had been completed.

However, she pointed out that excavation works had “slowed down” following the discovery of trenches deemed to be of archaeological importance.

“Once the surveys are complete, they will be presented to the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, who will provide a way forward to be able to resume works at the pre-planned pace,” the spokeswoman said.