Bernard Grech has called for Prime Minister Robert Abela to declare a state of national emergency, so the country can mobilise its resources to tackle the power outage crisis. 

“Abela must get out of his holiday mode and must address this problem, and I ask him to announce a national state of emergency,” Grech said on Tuesday. 

He was speaking during a press conference in Birżebbuġa, held opposite the Delimara power plant.  "We must have all our country's resources working on this issue, including the army and the police."

Grech said that government “lines of communication” should be offered to people experiencing problems due to water and energy issues, and suggested making public buildings not impacted by power cuts available to to those left without any electricity. 

He did not elaborate on that proposal. 

Numerous residents in several localities spent yet another night in the dark between Monday and Tuesday, with power outages also impacting water supply in some areas when water boosting stations in Naxxar and San Niklaw, limits of Siġġiewi went offline. 

“Abela must understand we have a national crisis, an emergency crisis,” he said. 

“Especially when our only public hospital is left without electricity, with no generator working, this means that once again Abela’s government has failed us.”

He drew parallels between Mater Dei Hospital suffering a power outage and the government handing over millions to Vitals Global Healthcare and Steward  Health Care, to run three state hospitals as part of a deal declared fraudulent by a court earlier this year. 

"Not only does he not invest in our energy sector, but also in our health sector," he said, adding that now the people are suffering due to the government's shortcomings.

When it comes to compensation, Grech said now is the time people need help. 

Last Friday, Grech wrote to the government and the Speaker of the House to hold an ‘urgent’ parliamentary sitting to address the national crisis of the consecutive outages.