Barts medical students are due to move into their purpose-built school in Gozo in September, officials said on Wednesday during a site visit by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

The project was launched just over four years ago, and the school had originally been due for completion in 2016 but construction had hardly started by that time. Two intakes of students had to make use of temporary facilities at the Gozo sixth form

The project is part of the 30-year concession agreement originally granted to Vitals Global Healthcare which the latter transferred to Steward Health Care of the US.

The new four-storey building was described by Barts and Steward Healthcare officials as "the perfect place to study medicine".

The facility includes two laboratories, a large auditorium, several skills and simulation rooms, classrooms and a catering area at the top floor. An anatomy centre was opened some months ago.

The building is nearing completion and will be fitted out in the summer.

€26 million investment

Steward handled the construction of the building in just over a year, investing €26 million which, it said, was a strong signal that “we are here to stay as a committed partner to the government, Barts, patients and staff.”

Steward said that with the completion of the building, its focus is now shifting to building and refurbishing hospitals under a masterplan prepared in the past few months.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat thanked all those involved and also announced that Queen Mary University of London, which is partnering Barts in Gozo, will also be expanding into new academic fields at masters level in Malta and will also collaborate in humanities and science with the University of Malta.

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