The Medical Association of Malta has declared the Public Private Partnership that has seen Steward Healthcare take over three state hospitals an abject failure that is just draining the public coffers and providing little in return for the public investment.
At a press conference convened this morning, Dr Martin Balzan, President of MAM said that “the PPP model has failed and this has been acknowledged by the government itself, as a new outpatients block and the new psychiatric hospital will be financed and run directly with public funds.” Dr Balzan expressed that the government should “stop the bleeding” of such funds which should be used better.
Barts Medical School expenses unlikely to actually exceed €3 million
Monday saw the inauguration of the Barts Medical School in Gozo, a school which MAM state was apparently built by Steward, and results in an expense of €35 million for the taxpayer. “Our position as MAM has never been against Barts Medical School, but against the public private partnership, especially since we have seen that such PPPs bring a number of problems,” Balzan said.
Balzan explained that the estimated construction costs after excluding the value of land, is unlikely to exceed €3 million. “The construction of a medical school is construction of lecture rooms and halls, therefore the price of such a construction is not the same as that of a hospital; which is extremely complicated,” said Balzan. He compared the construction of a hospital similar to the construction of a Formula One car, and the school halls to a normal everyday car. “You cannot compare the value of a hospital to that of a school. We do not believe the construction of such a school did not exceed €3 million.”
Balzan explained that Barts Medical School has had an annual intake of thirty students, yet the curriculum of the school has emerged two problems which can lead to negatively affecting public health care service. “Gps at health centres have been asked to leave their place of work and solely focus all their attention the Bart’s students and we have seen a major resistance by most hospital consultants to take up Bart’s students at Mater Dei,” said Balzan.
Therefore doctors and specialists are to provide all their attention to students and just focus on the students, increasing the waiting time for patients and having a negative impact on the public health care service. “Teaching should not affect the doctors service, we have had doctors providing a service with their students observing; therefore there is no effect whatsoever to the patients service and this is extremely important method which Barts should adopt.” Another issue is that hospital consultants have shown a major resistance to take up Bart students at Mater Dei, as they wish to focus on University of Malta students. “MAM has a neutral position on this issue, leaving the choice to consultants whether to take up students,” said Balzan.
Gozo and Karin Grech hospitals begging for refurbishment, whilst St Luke’s left abandoned
Balzan pointed out that the general hospital in Gozo and Karin Grech Hospital are both “begging” for basic maintenance, whilst St Luke’s Hospital has been left in a state of abandonment. “Nothing has resulted from the promised €200 million investment in a new general hospital in Gozo, rehabilitation of Karin Grech Hospital and the refurbishment of St. Luke’s Hospital.” The union has expressed its disappointment of the institutional failure of the National audit office that has not proceeded with an inquiry requested by the Parliament Public Accounts committee.
From the government’s financial estimates, after excluding salaries, there has been an increase in disbursement which now amounts to €50 million a year. “What is the Maltese population gathering from this investment? We still do not know. When you look at all this money spent over the past five years, the Gozo General Hospital should be built by now,” said Balzan.
He said that a middle grade Steward official had told some doctors that unless this was raised further, Steward may leave Malta. When media asked for further details on the individual Balzan expressed that he could not give such personal details.
“MAM feels that the PPP model has failed, and the government acknowledges this as the new outpatient’s block and new psychiatric hospital will be financed and run directly by public funds,” said Balzan. He continued that the government should simply cut its losses and not extend such a deal, which has resulted in the proverbial “buying fish from the sea” and revert to a model which by its own decisions has been proven best.
The union expressed that such savings should be used for the purchase of the latest medicines and equipment, and to provide the necessary attention to all patients. “We need to stop the fact that some diseases are given more attention that others, all our patients deserve to get all modern treatments and provided health care services.”
The union explain that their position is simple, to stop the process of a bad deal which ultimately affects the Maltese population and patients. “This is a false model and a sensible business should simply count its losses and acknowledge the mistakes made, but then move forward.”
National Audit Office rebuts allegations made by Dr Martin Balzan – it is investigating the Vitals and Steward Healthcare Agreements
The National Audit Office said it fails to understand the comments made by Balzan since these are unfounded.
As all involved stakeholders are aware, the Office is presently conducting an extensive investigation of the agreements.
It was referring to what Balzan said: namely that the National Audit Office has failed the Maltese people on account of the fact that it ‘had not investigated the transfer of those hospitals, first to Vitals and then to Steward Healthcare’.
