Mount Carmel Hospital should be closed down "for all psychiatric conditions", mental health organisation Richmond Foundation has demanded.
In a statement, the foundation said it believed Mount Carmel Hospital is "unfit to treat patients" and has been in such a state for several years.
"Having consulted numerous clients of the Foundation we have the certainty to say that even though the care in the hospital may be good, the building is not conducive to recovery.
"No one with a mental health condition should be made to remain in Mount Carmel Hospital. No one, for whatever illness, should be isolated from the main stream hospital," the NGO argued.
It added that the edifice should be "completely re-purposed" so as to unlatch the stigma associated with the place.
The NGO's statement comes in the wake of a former senior official's comments to a parliamentary committee that patients at the state mental health hospital had been made to endure freezing cold showers in the height of winter because there was no hot water for months on end.
It went on to suggest that better community care was also needed so as to avoid admitting patients to hospital unless absolutely necessary.
"Unless they are in need of acute psychiatric care, a person would not need to be treated in a hospital but would be supported in the community. Hospitalisation should happen only when the person is unwell and it should be at Mater Dei," the foundation added.
On the draft Mental Health Strategy published at the end of 2018, the NGO said that while aspects highlighted in the past by the foundation had been included in this, focus should now shift to the publication of the final strategy document.
The consultation period had come to an end some three months ago and yet the final document still had to see light of day, the organisation pointed out.
"Albeit a number of initiatives are already being undertaken, we maintain it is imperative to avoid a piecemeal approach. The sector needs a holistic plan to ensure that developments are congruent, coordinated and consistent and that they finally ensure smooth pathways for all service users."
Series of demands
The Richmond Foundation said that in the wake of recent reports and in consultation with those using its services, it was making a series of demands on their behalf.
This included calling for the the publication of the final strategy, the introduction of a crisis intervention or psychiatric emergency services, the development of youth early intervention services as well as a clear plan for the strengthening and development of other community services, the building of a new acute psychiatric facility at Mater Dei Hospital and the closing down of Mount Carmel Hospital for all psychiatric conditions.
Never-ending saga
The state of the state mental health hospital has repeatedly made headlines in recent years. In April, the Times of Malta revealed that around three quarters of the hospital's ceilings were condemned. Photos seen by Times of Malta show beds lined up so close to each other that patients had no option but to store their belongings on the floor.
This was also proving a challenge for nurses who could not care for patients properly as a result of the beds being crammed together. The photos also show scaffolding being used to support parts of the ceiling at risk of collapse. In some areas, architects also instructed workers to install metal support jacks to hold old beams in place.
Reacting to the report just days later, Health Minister Chris Fearne insisted the hospital was safe while also confirming some patients had been evacuated due to infrastructural problems. The minister has also repeatedly stated that the government had come up with a five-year plan to address the situation, yet staff insist they have yet to see any improvements.