Labour leader contender Chris Fearne has promised free parking at Mater Dei Hospital for patients and visitors by the end of 2020. 

Mr Fearne said the measure will come into effect in March for patients who visit Mater Dei for hospital appointments in the mornings. There are around 500,000 appointments annually at the outpatient’s department. 

The measure will be extended to the Emergency Department area on a 24-hour basis and will then be extended also to visitors so that by the end of the year all parking at the hospital will be free of charge. 

Mr Fearne said that if he is given people’s trust to be Malta’s next Prime Minister, he will continue prioritising the health sector. 

“A lot of work has already been done to change the hospital from one which had beds in corridors and never-ending lists of out-of-stock medicines to one which is pioneering in new projects such as the use of robotics and more free medicines. This is the way forward,” he said.