The Nationalist Party has expressed concern over the government's decision to shelve plans for the building of a new acute care hospital for mental health patients.

The change of plans was announced in parliament by Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela, who said specialised units for 110 patients would instead be set up within Mater Dei Hospital.

The PN said the building of a new hospital had been a Labour electoral promise and also featured in the government's Budget.

Over the past years, it pointed out, the government found €400 million to hand out to Vitals/Steward Healthcare, while the mental health sector was ignored. The Auditor-General himself had lambasted the Labour government for its lack of investment in the sector.  

The government had promised a new fell equipped hospital with 120 beds and a specialised outpatients department, the PN recalled.  It had also said it had identified a site for the hospital and prepared plans and studies for it.   

The latest decision showed that mental health was not a government priority, the PN said.

It also pointed to its own proposals for the sector, including a new mental health hospital near Mater Dei, renovation of Mt Carmel Hospital, availability of better medicines, a campaign against the stigma associated with mental health problems and better assistance to NGOs involved in this sector.  

The PN statement was signed by Ian Vassallo, shadow minister for primary healthcare and mental health and Adrian Delia shadow minister for health.