Mater Dei expands Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit
€400,000 investnment adds seven intensive care beds
A significant expansion of the Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (NPICU) at Mater Dei Hospital has been inaugurated, marking a major step forward in the care provided to the country’s youngest and most vulnerable patients, the Health Ministry said.
The extension was inaugurated by Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela, who said the strengthening of the NPICU would enhance Malta’s ability to provide high-dependency and intensive care to newborns and young children at critical moments in their lives.
The unit, which until now comprises 20 beds, provides specialised care for patients from the earliest stages of life — including premature babies — up to the age of three. Each year, the NPICU treats more than 400 children, a number that continues to rise steadily. Most patients are newborns, many of them premature, with some weighing as little as 500 grammes.
Through the extension, seven additional neonatal intensive care beds have been added, primarily to cater for infants. The investment amounts to around €400,000.
Abela paid tribute to the dedicated team of doctors, nurses and midwives, along with other healthcare professionals, who work to save fragile lives. He said that modern equipment, coupled with advanced monitoring and ventilation systems, ensures that patients receive care of an international standard.
“This development confirms the government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that health services continue to evolve, become more resilient and remain people-centred — accessible services delivered with dignity and compassion for the patient,” he said.