Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri on Tuesday refused to publish studies which led the government to relocate elderly patients from a home for the elderly forming part of Gozo General Hospital to the Downtown Hotel in Victoria.

The decision was taken to create space where Covid-19 patients could be treated in the hospital.  

“In the interest of Gozo, I had to take a quick but calculated decision within days,” Camilleri said in parliament.

The matter was raised by Opposition MP Maria Deguara who complained that the minister had failed to table any documents in reply to her request.

"Were such studies carried out? Would it not have been better to publish the studies on the alternative sites considered," she asked.

Costing around €1.6 million, the relocation which took place in mid-April had fuelled controversy due to complaints that the hotel was not up to minimum standards. The contract was not awarded by tender but through a “negotiated procedure” with the hotel, following “market research”.

An investigation by the Social Care Standards Authority concluded that facilities at the hotel were adequate to serve the purpose of an old people’s home.

Downtown Hotel is located next to the Victoria sports complex less than a kilometre away from the Gozo General Hospital. Joseph Portelli, the Gozitan property magnate who owns J Portelli Projects, is a director of the hotel and has a small shareholding.

Camilleri said that when the outbreak started the government could only base its plans on certain projections. Under the model presented by the Covid-19 task force, it was agreed to have 120 beds in one centralised site outside the general hospital but in close proximity.  The decision was taken to minimise the risk of contagion from Covid-19 patients.

Camilleri insisted options were limited.

During the controversy, questions had been raised on why the government had not considered Lourdes Home on the outskirts of Għajnsielem which is run by the Dominican nuns.

“The advice received from the Gozo General Hospital management was that Lourdes Home was not adequate as it had no air conditioning while parts of it were still under construction,” the minister said.

He added that Lourdes Home was not close to the hospital.

While acknowledging that there is another hotel in Victoria, The Duke, he said this was too small to accommodate 80 beds.

“Ideally we would have issued a tender, but we were pressed for time. Had we issued a call we would still be at adjudication stage,” the Gozo minister remarked.