The Opposition is calling on the Auditor General to urgently investigate the privatisation of public hospitals through the concession initially awarded to Vitals Global Healthcare and subsequently sold to Steward Healthcare.
PN deputy leader David Agius told a press conference on Monday that the request will be made through the House Public Accounts Committee.
Mr Agius and MP Beppe Fenech Adami said millions of taxpayers' money were being spent without gain.
"It is unacceptable that three public hospitals have been rendered a commodity where a private entity- VGH - is selling our hospitals to another company,” Dr Fenech Adami said.
He criticized the government for hiding the terms of the 30 year deal originally reached with Vitals, as well as the terms of the transfer.
Mr Agius said that the three hospitals should be returned to the government as the Vitals venture has evidently collapsed.
He said that the PN is considering various legal options to make sure that the government and its cronies do not make negotiate public health as well.
The Sunday Times revealed that according to the contract Vitals did not honour any of the milestones they were obliged to keep with and that the government sold all the contents of the three hospitals for just 1 euro.
Neither Vitals nor the government would say how much is Steward Healthcare was paying for the hospitals concession.
READ: €1: The price Vitals paid for three hospitals' contents
Dr Fenech Adami pointed out that the Opposition had long argued that Vitals lacked the credentials to run hospitals, and its arguments had been confirmed when Vitals transferred its concession to another group. The problem was that it did so at a profit which probably ran into millions.
The people, he said, had already given millions of euro to Vitals, only for the group to now wash its hands of its projects by selling its management of St Luke's, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals.
"Vitals was paid millions, only to now sell its concession and earn even more millions, " Dr Fenech Adami said.
"The people have a right to know how their money is being spentThe people have a right to know how their money is being spent. The time for secrecy must end."
Mr Agius criticised the government for having refused a debate in the House Health Committee, where witnesses can be summoned and questioned. The government will instead host a debate in the Full House, where no individuals may be questioned.
In a reaction, the Labour Party said the government, a year ago asked the Auditor-General to investigate the hospitals public-private partnership, which, it stressed, does not amount to privatisation.
The Opposition was therefore requesting what the government asked for a year ago.