Spending €12 million, remaining with 280 beds

Government plans to expand St Philip’s Hospital to take 280 beds while closing down Karin Grech’s Hospital which has 270 beds. At the moment St Philip’s Hospital has 75 beds.

After paying over €12 million to take over St Philip’s Hospital Malta will remain with the same number of beds for rehabilitation and Mater Dei Hospital will still remain with around 120 beds occupied by patients considered to eb social cases.

When the Malta Environment Planning Authority (MEPA) had approved the St Philip’s Hospital project it had limited its capacity to 75 beds as the site could not take more beds not to overdevelop it.

When negotiations were going on between Dr Frank Portelli and a group of Italian businessmen to buy the hospital, MEPA could not guarantee them the necessary permits to enlarge the hospital to take 280 beds. Government now wants MEPA to give the necessary permits.

No Development brief has yet been undertaken of St Philip’s Hospital. The site lacks space for further development and the existing building was not intended to have additional floors built on it. Every winter the basement of the hospital is flooded with water because of the clay around it. The only area that can be built now serves as a parking space.