The long-promised Għajnsielem care home has finally opened its doors to elderly residents, with the Prime Minister officially inaugurating it on Thursday.
Dar San Ġużepp will be able to host 120 residents across four floors. It comprises a renovated building rented from the Gozo Curia since 2013 and a new built spread across three tumoli.
The project had been granted a development permit in 2014 and works on the conversion began in early 2015.
In July 2020, the government issued a call for tenders to finish, furnish, equip, operate, manage and maintain it.
Four bids were submitted and the contract was granted to CareMalta after Golden Care Homes were excluded from the bidding process because they did not meet the debt-ratio requirements.
Golden Care Homes appealed to the Public Contracts Review Board, arguing that their bid, the lowest submitted, had been wrongly disqualified and that the debt-ratio requirement was being calculated incorrectly.
Following years of legal delays and €1 million paid out in rent, a court last year upheld the decision to award the €30 million government contract to equip and manage Dar San Ġużepp to CareMalta.
CareMalta - a subsidiary of the Vassallo Group - already operates eight facilities for the elderly across Malta – Casa Arkati (Mosta), Villa Messina (Rabat), Roseville (Attard), Casa San Paolo ( Bugibba), Casa Marija (Sliema), Żejtun Home, Dar il-Madonna tal-Mellieħa and Zammit Clapp Hospital Residential Home (St Julian's).
The home has been equipped with 120 beds. Photo: DOI - Alan SalibaOn Thursday, Abela said the site had the potential for various projects, but the government - together with the Church and the private sector - had prioritised a home for elderly Gozitan people.
Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri meanwhile said the home's first residents had already provided positive feedback about the residence and the 24/7 service.