Bank of Valletta CEO Kenneth Farrugia accompanied by COO Ernest Agius, and Head CSR Charles Azzopardi visited the ongoing works at St Michael Hospice in Santa Venera. 

Bank of Valletta is supporting Hospice Malta in transforming the building formerly known as the Adelaide Cini Institute into a state-of-the-art centre offering comprehensive palliative care, a first of its kind in Malta. 

The BOV delegation was given a tour of the complex by Hospice Malta Chairperson Bernadette Bonnici Kind and CEO Kenneth Delia where works are progressing nicely, and the first patients are expected to be welcomed towards the end of the year.

"The newly refurbished building will become the main premises for Hospice Malta and is expected to help further enhance the already established palliative community services provided by Hospice since 1989," said Bonnici Kind. "This building will house the Hospice In-Patient Palliative Care Unit in Malta, complementing all the other services for a more comprehensive approach. The present-day therapy services will be expanded, and Out-Patient clinics will also be introduced. St Michael Hospice will also enhance its educational wing which will open many opportunities to exchange expertise with other Hospices across Europe and beyond."

While touring the building, Farrugia expressed his satisfaction at the advanced state of the works.

"Bank of Valletta was among the first organisations to support Hospice Malta in this project as part of its CSR strategy and its role as a caring citizen of the Maltese Community," said the BOV CEO. "We are very confident that this project will bring about a significant improvement in the lives of those members of our society requiring palliative care and the lives of individuals who require special care in difficult circumstances, both physically and emotionally."

Hospice Malta’s primary role is to provide and promote palliative care for persons suffering from end-of-life cancer and motor neuron disease. Throughout the years, as the awareness and the need for palliative care increased, Hospice Malta included other conditions within its mission statement so that presently, community-based services are also offered to patients suffering from end-of-life cardiac, respiratory, renal, liver diseases and most recently, Creutzfeldt Jacob disease and multiple sclerosis.