Extension to Mater Dei delayed as tender to be cancelled

The planned extension to address the ongoing crisis at Mater Dei’s emergency department, along with the construction of new wards to replace Mount Carmel, has experienced significant delays due to mismanagement and inadequate preparatory work by the Health Ministry.

The tender for the emergency works, issued last December, is now set for cancellation because the only bid submitted was nearly double the estimated budget cost.

According to the tender, the design and build contract issued by the Foundation for Medical Services (FMS), was expected to cost taxpayers around €80 million. Surprisingly, despite the significance of the public project, the Ministry received only one bid from a newly formed consortium called CE-BB Projects.

This consortium proposed to undertake the project for an astonishing €136 million, which is double the estimated cost provided by the government.

Concerns were immediately raised after the tendering process was concluded, due to both the unusually low number of bidders and the excessively high bid submitted.

CE-BB is a joint venture formed by two companies: CE Installations, owned by Mario Brincat, who serves as the minority leader of Naxxar’s local council on behalf of the Labour Party, and Bonnici Brothers, former clients and business partners of the Prime Minister.

Since Abela took office, Bonnici Brothers have been awarded hundreds of millions in direct orders and tenders.

Following the closure of the tender, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela declined to comment on whether the government would proceed with the project.

Sources have indicated that Minister Abela was recently informed by the Finance Ministry that there were no available funds, prompting the recommendation to cancel the tender and reissue it. The sole bidder has until the end of this week to file an objection.

It remains unclear if the estimated project costs will be reassessed before a new tender is published, which could further delay the project’s start, as Mater Dei Hospital is already overwhelmed due to the uncontrolled population growth.

The government has already had to spend millions outsourcing various emergency services to private clinics.

Additionally, several Health Ministry projects have faced postponements, delays, and changes, the most recent being the regional health center in Paola, which was partially inaugurated last week, with only a small section in operation.