The government should take legal action to recover the millions of euro poured into the Vitals/Steward hospitals management contract, the Medical Association said on Monday.

The association, which represents doctors, welcomed Friday's court decision annulling the contract and ordering the hospitals' return to the Maltese government.

It recalled that it had strongly opposed the deal, even ordering industrial action twice, as it insisted that the hospitals should have remained under the authority of the government of Malta without any contractual relationship with either Vitals or Steward.

Those decisions led to the loss of hundreds of millions of euros which should have been put into the medical infrastructure of the country.  

"Now it is time for the government to take legal steps to recover all the hundreds of millions poured into this contract," the association said. 

It said the contract had resulted in the pouring of over €500 million down a bottomless pit without even the foundation stone of a hospital having been laid.

"MAM expects the government of Malta to decisively and clearly show that it is on the side of the Maltese patient and not on the side of fraudulent sharks, without fear or favour of those involved in this colossal debacle." the association said.