A new health hub is being built in Paola with an investment of €40 million over three years, €25 million of which will just be for the insfrastructure Health Minister Chris Fearne announced today. It will be ready in three years, and €33 million will be arriving from the European Union.
Speaking at the site where the complex is being built, Fearne said that the government has implemented a change of strategy in health matters when compared to the previous Nationalist administrations, focusing more on primary health care within the community.
Nationalist governments took the wrong strategic measures lacking emphasis on investment and resources on prevention of illness, and focusing more on medical investments for Mater Dei, which of course is essential, but not investing also in primary health care, he said.
Photos Michael Camilleri
The new health hub will be named after the late Vincent Moran, a former health minister who passed away just last November 2018. Fearne explained that the new health hub would have a holistic approach to health care and prevention, and will also include Mental Health facilities and dentistry services. “This hub will provide health services to the central part of the island, which will also decrease waiting time and crowds at Mater Dei.” He explained that this hub will provide dentistry services for the community.
Once this project is done we will see a huge leap in our health care services on the island, he said.
Fearne said that in the upcoming weeks the Government will be publishing the strategy plans for public health for the next 10 years and with a huge emphasis on mental health strategy and the Community Health Care. “We are investing in a mental health hospital which will be located next to Mater Dei, but also in the mental health services which are provided in our communities.”
Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds and Social Dialogue Aaron Farrugia said that this new project is a huge investment in regional health care. He said that the project is also funded by European Fund programme. He explained that the EU funding does not just go into the infrastructure of the building but also goes towards research and scholarships in medical health care.
