Saint James Hospital in Żabbar is to relocate to a site on the outskirts of Tarxien in June, the hospital’s chairman Josie Muscat announced on Tuesday.

Speaking after a tour of the new hospital with Health Minister Chris Fearne, Dr Muscat said the move was the culmination of 12 years’ worth of studies and permits.

A preliminary permit was issued in 2002.

The new hospital will be located 120 metres south of the Bulebel industrial estate and is bordered to the west by a two-lane country road, which is accessed from Triq tal-Barrani and to the north by Triq Hal-Tarxien.

Dr Muscat said the hospital in Żabbar will be closed down.

He said he wanted the hospital to be a place where people felt comfortable and relaxed.

Mr Fearne said Malta’s economic growth would continue to drive growth in private healthcare.

He said over the past years, the government had outsourced certain work to private hospitals and clinics.

The new hospital will have three floors over a site area of  6,400Ssquare metres. Its facilities will include three operating theatres, 23 outpatient consulting rooms, 24 in-patient beds, a radiology department, an Immediate Care Medical Unit, a dental clinic, facilities for physiotherapy and rehabilitation, and a unit for plastic, cosmetic surgery and dermatology.

The investment is in excess of €15 million.