Minister ‘jumps the gun’ on Gozo hospital helipad

Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela has announced the inauguration of a new helipad at Gozo General Hospital later this year, despite the project not yet having been submitted for planning approval.

Earlier this month, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela announced that a contract had been signed for an €800,000 helipad to be built on a green area within the hospital’s grounds, with completion expected later this year. The statement surprised officials familiar with the project, who said key regulatory steps remain outstanding.

According to sources within the health ministry, the announcement was premature because no development application has yet been filed with the Planning Authority.

A spokesperson for the Planning Authority confirmed that neither the Ministry for Health nor the Foundation for Medical Services (FMS) has applied for the construction of a helipad at Gozo General Hospital.

Questions sent to the Health Ministry were not replied.

The tender for the project was issued last summer and awarded to Road Structures Limited, the lowest bidder, for €706,000.

Plans for a helipad at the Gozo hospital originally formed part of the multibillion-euro concession awarded by the government to Vitals Global Healthcare and later Steward Health Care. That concession, which included commitments for major investment in a new, state-of-the-art hospital on the island, was later declared fraudulent by the courts and annulled following a case brought by opposition MP Adrian Delia.

The hospital was subsequently returned to government control, but progress on major health infrastructure projects has remained slow. Pressure on the healthcare system has continued to grow due to population increases and technological demands, while delivery timelines for large public projects have repeatedly slipped.

The Paola Hub, a mini-hospital in the south of the island, was inaugurated only last year – three years later than originally planned – with costs rising significantly.

Since taking office and replacing Chris Fearne, Minister Abela has announced a series of new initiatives, including the expansion of Mater Dei Hospital’s emergency department, the closure of Mount Carmel Hospital and the construction of new psychiatric facilities, a new acute hospital in Gozo, and a health village to replace the abandoned St Luke’s Hospital site.

To date, none of these projects has entered the construction phase, and no official timelines have been provided for when they are expected to become operational.