The Health Ministry would not go into the new Mount Carmel Hospital CEO’s credentials, saying only he is “part of a plan intended to strengthen the management team”.
Stephen Sultana’s appointment at the mental health hospital was announced earlier this month.
Read: New CEO at Mt Carmel Hospital
Asked about his qualifications, the Health Ministry said he possessed “qualifications in banking” from the Chartered Institute of Bankers and that he sits as a board member of the central cooperative funds and the eco tax contribution appeal board.
Mr Sultana, the mayor of Santa Venera, has been active within the Labour Party for several years and served as financial secretary of the party’s youth arm.
Thie Times of Malta has requested a list of Mr Sultana’s qualifications and why he was chosen for the post, since it appeared he did not have any previous experience.
The Health Ministry replied: “The appointment of Mr Sultana as CEO of Mount Carmel Hospital is part of a plan intended to strengthen the management team at this hospital. The appointment of Mr Sultana as CEO follows that of Dr Vicky Sultana, who was appointed director of nursing just four weeks ago.”
It said the team included Anton Grech as clinical chairman for mental health.
Over the past few days, the hospital’s engineering and maintenance team was also further strengthened with the addition of new professionals, it added.
Questions sent to Mr Sultana regarding his plans and how he intended to address the long-standing issues at the dilapidated hospital had not been answered by the time of writing.
The engineering and maintenance team was strengthened with the addition of new professionals
He was also asked how he would be addressing problems connected to the relocation of patients while embellishment works were under way.
Last year several Mount Carmel Hospital patients had to be relocated after architects declared some of the wards unsafe, ordering their immediate closure.
Health Minister Chris Fearne insisted at the time that the hospital was the “safest in 30 years”, ruling out the possibility of closing it down.