Nationalist Party Leader Simon Busuttil, speaking in front of the Gozo General Hospital, slammed the Government's deal with Vitals Global Healthcare, denouncing the working conditions of some of the works.

"We are giving them €16.5 million for wages and there are still employees working in containers," he said, referring to containers placed outside the hospital, adding that the workers deserve dignity.

Dr Busuttil was addressing a press conference in the run up for general elections this coming Saturday.

"The promises from the side of VGH and the Government, you can say have not been fulfilled," he said, "for example, Barts Medical School was supposed to open last September, and Renovation of the hospital was supposed to create an increase in 200 beds, and had to be finished later on in the year, yet the works are not at an advanced stage." He said that giving the Gozo hospital back to the government will save money rather than cost money. 

"The hospital was stolen from the Gozitan people and given to the private sector," he said. "The call for proposals together with St Lukes were called in March 2015 and closed less than two months later. They found out they were the chosen group in June of the same year, three years after the call, a month after it closed. Even these dates show to everyone that it was concocted," he said.  

"People behind these companies, as there are a few companies, is a complex structure of companies," he said, "some of which are offshore in countries where you avoid tax such as British Virgin Islands. We don't even know who the owners are of these companies."

Dr Busuttil pledged that Gozitans will be given back the Gozo Hospital "from the first day." "We will take the steps to notify the people behind the Gozo Hospitals that we have the intention to take the hospital back. He went on to say, "we will publish all the contracts of VGH, so that everyone will know the deal between the."

He said that above that, the hospital will be "modernized" with EU funds and added that employees will be "guaranteed" to keep their jobs, including those government workers who had moved to VGH. 

When asked by the media whether he was speculating regarding VGH officials having an account in Pilatus bank, Dr Busuttil said that it would be the straw that breaks the camel's bank if there is a link with Pilatus. He went on to say that the statement by VGH that its officials did not have a link with Pilatus Bank will be taken with "a pinch of salt," said Dr Busuttil, "information I have is a bit different, but everything will happen in its own time."

"If there are Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi involved, chances are these contracts are not clean," he said. 

Dr Busuttil went on to elaborate on another four pledges from the Forza Nazzjonal ;including stock taking of geological studies for the tunnel between Malta and Gozo, to initiate studies. "Our determination is for a link between Malta and Gozo, that is a commitment," he said.

He also said that the PN will commit itself to declare Gozo a 'dedicated region' by amending the law, following which a regional committee will be created, taking care of everything for Gozo, separate from the Ministry of Gozo

The party are also pledging to rebuild Gozo's main arterial roads- Marsalforn-Victoria, Nadur-Victoria, Xaghra-Victoria and Zebbug-Victoria. The party is pledging to allocate an additional €3 million a year for the building, re-surfacing and maintenance of residential roads in Gozo.

He explained that party are also pledging incentives to repopulate the Gozitan population. n order to increase Gozo's declining population, the party are pledging a variety of incentives, such as € 10,000 for young couples starting their lives in Gozo, as well as an elimination of stamp duty from new properties purchased.