Applications for major works at the three privatised state hospitals are currently suspended, a court heard on Monday, pending presentation of the necessary documentation.
News of the suspended works emerged during a hearing in a case filed by former PN leader Adrian Delia calling for St Luke’s, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals to be “given back to the people”.
Delia is arguing that contractual obligations included in the 2015 privatisation deal with Vitals Global Healthcare were not fulfilled and milestones missed.
Documents presented in court by a Planning Authority representative on Monday indicated that a masterplan application to upgrade St Luke’s hospital, submitted in 2020 by the operator, Steward Malta Assets Ltd, had been suspended until the required documents were collated by the applicant’s consultants.
Steward took over Vitals’ concession in 2018.
The PA application for St Luke’s proposes upgrading works including the demolition of the outpatients building, the doctors’ quarter, the hyperbaric unit, the boiler house, x-ray, ITU, physiotherapy and part of the engineering building.
Other works proposed are the excavation of an underground car park, construction of a rehabilitation centre, external landscaping, rerouting of roads and surface car parking.
A screening letter was due to expire in November 2020, but the applicant requested a one-year suspension until the necessary documentation was in hand.
That application was not the only one currently suspended.
A masterplan application for major alteration works and ancillary facilities at Gozo General Hospital has also been suspended for similar reasons. That application was filed by Vitals in 2019.
Other planning applications for works at the three hospitals are at different stages of progress, the court heard.
An application submitted in 2016 to build three storeys at the Barts medical school in Gozo was duly processed. Another 2016 application for works to the main building of St Luke’s was also successful, but the court has yet to receive information about its commencement notice, signalling the start of works.
A permit was also issued in 2018 to demolish part of the Gozo hospital and build stores, following a 2017 application by Vitals. But again, the commencement notice has yet to be presented in court, with the PA representative who testified on Monday told to report back to court at the next sitting.
Other applications listed on Monday involve a permit issued in 2019 for a proposed installation of an oxygen tank and safety fence at the Gozo hospital and another permit to sanction minor alterations.
PPS says cabinet documents are confidential
In a previous hearing, Delia had filed a request for the principal permanent secretary to inform the court how many times the Vitals hospital concession featured on cabinet’s agenda.
The request was made after various ministers testifying in the lawsuit gave what appeared to be conflicting evidence about their recollection of cabinet discussions about the controversial deal.
Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and minister Konrad Mizzi had declared that Vitals was mentioned “at least 12 to 14 times,” whereas Health Minister Chris Fearne and former minister Edward Scicluna had said that as far as they knew there had only been one presentation to cabinet in the very early stages, before the deal was signed.
At the start of Monday’s hearing, with the majority of the parties following the case via video conferencing, Mr Justice Francesco Depasquale said that the Principal Permanent Secretary, Mario Cutajar, had filed an application in reply to Delia’s request.
Cutajar argued that cabinet discussions are confidential.
But Delia’s lawyer, Edward Debono, pointed out that they had only requested a copy of the cabinet agenda, rather than details of the discussions. That would suffice to indicate the number of times the Vitals deal had been tabled before the ministers, Debono said.
The court is to direct on the matter once all other parties have presented their submissions.
The case is scheduled to continue in June.