The government is leasing an operating theatre from St Thomas Hospital to reduce a backlog of non-urgent operations that developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Health Minister Chris Fearne announced on Friday that the private hospital had won the two-year contract via tender and that 15 beds are also being leased as part of the agreement. 

Operating under the contract since the beginning of February, the theatre is carrying out an average of eight surgeries a day and is expected to execute 2,000 procedures by the end of the year. 

The theatre will be staffed by employees from the national health service at no extra cost to the patients themselves, Fearne added. 

The opening of four intensive therapy units during Covid-19 and a priority shift to the pandemic led to a backlog of “non-urgent” operations, Fearne said. 

15,500 fewer operations took place in the first year of the pandemic when compared to 2019. Some 22,000 operations had to be postponed in 2020 and 2021. 

Despite managing to increase surgeries to 60,500 last year up from 56,000 in 2019, Fearne said a backlog of procedures still exists. 

“For more operations, you need more staff, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, theatres and beds,” Fearne said.  

The government is also seeking to tackle the surgery backlog issue with the Vincent Moran health centre, scheduled to open later this year, the minister added. This is expected to have two operating theatres that will be carrying out surgeries daily.  

The government is also using Mater Dei Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital “more efficiently,” he said.