Adrian Delia vowed the Opposition would offer its support to the government in terminating the hospitals deal with Steward Healthcare.

Speaking in Parliament, the former Opposition leader said Steward themselves are alleging that the original concession given to Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) to run three public hospitals may be the result of fraud.

VGH was granted a €2billion concession to run the Gozo, Karin Grech and St Luke's hospitals in 2015, despite having no experience in healthcare. 

The company crashed out of the concession two years later, with Steward taking over the deal. 

Referring to an article by The Shift, Delia said Steward claimed in court filings that the concession it took over may be the result of corrupt practice.

He slammed the government for increasing the yearly amount paid to Steward by €23 million.

Health Minister Chris Fearne has claimed this additional budgetary allocation reflects the general increase in health spending.

In 2018, Delia took the government to court in a bid to terminate the hospitals concession.

Delia said the government was supposed to be re-negotiating the concession, yet people had not heard anything about the outcome of these negotiations, he added.

He recalled how former minister Konrad Mizzi had signed a secret deal with Steward guaranteeing them a €100 million payoff if the contract was terminated.

“I know you believe these people are robbing us. We cannot wait any longer. You have everything you need to terminate the contract. Be on the right side. Side with the people, the taxpayers. Let us together fight the foreigners robbing us, and those who facilitated it,” Delia said.

Delia said the Opposition would give all the help necessary to the government for the deal to be terminated.

“We will make sure the money is spent for the benefit of the people”, Delia said. 

Steward must deliver what they signed up for - Fearne

Replying to Delia, Health Minister Chris Fearne said Steward had taken over the VGH concession “lock, stock and barrel.

“They literally bought the VGH shares. They have all the rights under the original concession, as well as all the obligations VGH had towards the government and patients”, Fearne said.

The health minister said side letters about the concession were not signed by him but “by the government”.

Fearne said the discussions under way with Steward were to see if an even better service could be offered to patients.

He said these discussions were being carried out within the ambit of Maltese and European procurement laws

Fearne said the concession as it stands obliges Steward to deliver everything it signed up for when it took over the contract from VGH.