The government has announced plans for an embellished Gozo General Hospital which will see the development of a new wing for acute cases.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, Health and Active Aging Minister Jo Etienne Abela launched what he described as a development and regeneration plan for the Gozo General Hospital.

“The main objective of this plan is for Gozo to have a modern and comprehensive medical infrastructure, to continue to provide a health care service of the highest level in Gozo itself," Abela said.

He went on to explain that the new hospital will cover around 400 beds which means that the amount of patients that the Gozo Hospital receives will be doubled.

He also announced that part of the regeneration plan will see the introduction of a new anatomy centre, a new research facility, a Child Development Assessment Unit centre, and a new helipad for emergency transport to Mater Dei Hospital.

"Thanks to this plan, we will not only be improving and offering a top-level health service, but we will also see several new quality jobs for people in Gozo. The government is constantly working to ensure that Gozo residents have all the necessary health services on the island," he concluded.

No more details were given, including any commencement date or a timeline.

An artist's impression of how the revamped Gozo General Hospital will look. Photo: Health Ministry

The Gozo General Hospital was one of the three hospitals given to Vitals Global Healthcare to manage and upgrade, along with St Luke's Hospital and Karin Grech Hospital. However, very little investment was made and the concession agreement was declared by the court as being riddled with fraud, with targets never met.

The hospitals were given in 2015 to Vitals Global Healthcare, which had no previous experience in managing hospitals. When it failed to live up to its obligations, the concession was handed to US company Steward Healthcare.

At the stroke of a pen, the government signed over the running of St Luke’s, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals to an unknown outfit with no experience in healthcare. That deal was annulled by a court last year.

A recently-concluded magisterial inquiry into the now-annulled  30-year, €4 billion deal will see Malta's former prime minister Joseph Muscat, his chief-of-staff Keith Schembri, ex-minister Konrad Mizzi, and 19 other individuals and companies charged with money laundering, corruption, bribery and a host of serious crimes.

It is the first time in Maltese political history that a former prime minister will be made to answer for criminal charges in court.

Muscat, Mizzi and Schembri stand accused of money laundering, bribery, trading in influence and a long list of other charges, including setting up a criminal association.

If found guilty, the trio face jail sentences of up to 18 years and fines of up to €2.5 million.

There is also a second group of 14 individuals and two companies that will be charged with secondary offences. That group includes former deputy prime Minister Chris Fearne, Central Bank Governor Edward Scicluna and top civil servants. 

In a press statement following the announcement, the Nationalist Party said the new Gozo General Hospital was meant to be built by Steward, and should have already been completed.

It said is thanks to the Nationalist Party that Gozo hospital came back to the people.