The Vitals Global Healthcare deal struck by Minister Konrad Mizzi was “built to fail”, Opposition leader Adrian Delia said on Sunday.
The group, which took over the management of St Luke’s, Karin Grech, and the Gozo General Hospital had to pass on the responsibility to Steward Healthcare amid reports that it is facing growing financial problems.
This was biggest robbery that faced Maltese and Gozitan people, Dr Delia said.
Read: Steward must absorb €900,000 Vitals loan
Speaking during an interview on Radio 101, Dr Delia said the Labour government did not have a long-term plan, particularly with issues related to healthcare and the environment.
Pointing out that people are still in the dark as to who was behind Vitals, the Opposition leader asked whether the Prime Minister or Health Minister Chris Fearne knew the identity of Vitals’ owners.
Read: Vitals CEO profile says he worked simultaneously for new concession owner
Dr Delia brushed off criticism that the Nationalist party was against investment, saying that the PN was always the one to attract serious and good investment for the country.
The VGH deal, on the other hand, led to speculation.
AUM
Turning to environmental issues, Dr Delia said that American University of Malta only managed to attract 26 students, when it was supposed to attract thousands.
Read: Four American University students ‘disappear’ before reaching campus
Once again, the Labour government did not care about education and never catered to the educational needs of students.
Pointing out that land was a scarce resource, Dr Delia said property was given to a contractor instead of an educator to build a University. “Our reputation is being ruined while the government is trying to pull our leg,” he added.
Addressing Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Dr Delia said: “You said you were on your way out, don’t leave us with a situation that is worse than before”. He was speaking in reaction to a Radju Malta interview on Saturday during which Dr Muscat insisted that he would not be contesting another election.
Constitutional reform
On the Constitution, Dr Delia said the attention being given to the Constitution by Dr Muscat was just a political exercise to distract the people from corruption.
During his Radji Malta interview, with Andrew Azzopardi, Dr Muscat spoke at length about the Constitution, where he did not rule out changes within its wording on neutrality and religion.
Constitution was not only about religion and neutrality, Dr Delia noted, insisting that constitutional reform needed to address corruption issues.
He insisted there was no agreement on constitutional reform.