PN MP Chris Said says Vitals Global Healthcare did not invest a cent into the Gozo General Hospital in 2016 during his adjournment speech in Parliament this evening.
He said that the contracts wih Vitals Global Healthcare remain a mystery, stating that all that was published is irrelevant, and everything important was kept hidden.
"We know that in 2016 Vitals Global Healthcare did not invest a single cent into the Gozo General Hospital, no new equipment was brought in and no new work began. Government kept on paying for everything through taxes, including paying for wages, medicines, food, etc."
"Vitals was given at least €14 million that went into the company's pocket without doing anything, and costs were handled by government".
The Gozo General Hospital cost the Maltese and Gozitan people millions more without any new service or any new investment. Last August a press conference was held to announce a helicopter that would take patients between the Gozo Hospital to Mater Dei Hospital. Six months passed, and this helicopter has not carried a single person."
The PN MP also spoke about the permanent link to Gozo, and said that government has barely spoken about it this legislature. He said that government originally scrapped the PN idea of a tunnel, and employed a Chinese company that was "blacklisted by the World Bank" to formulate studies for a bridge, however nothing occurred after two years. "After three years, government woke up and said that a tunnel is the best solution. Now another year has passed and we have not heard much about it, aside from a seismic study by the University of Malta".
He said it seems that government is just dragging its feet, and just mentioning current studies to keep certain delegates happy.
Turning to another issue, he also said that a storm back in 2010 damaged part of the Marsalforn breakwater and studies as to what needed to be done concluded in 2012, including studies regarding the strength of waves in Marsalforn during storms. He said that storms cause damage to shops and restaurants on the front.
Proposals regarding an offshore breakwater were made. Four years have passed, and nothing has been done, he added.
He said that government, and the Gozo Ministry, found funds to build stairs in St Francis square, but did not find the funds for this much needed breakwater.
The PN MP also criticized the state of the roads in Gozo, and said that over the past four years not a single road was done through EU funds in Gozo. He said the previous government built a number of arterial roads, such as from Xewkija to Rabat, Triq tax-Xlendi, Triq tar-Ramla, etc. "Why is there no plan?" he asked.