The first public-private partnership scheme contract was signed yesterday by the government, for a residential home for the elderly in Mellieha.

The other signatory was Care Malta Mellieha Ltd which is expected to build and start operating the home within the year.

The home will have 106 rooms for 130 elderly persons and will be built on the concept of public-private partnership, different to the partnership which exists at the Cospicua and Zejtun homes, and to the purchase of beds in private homes.

The contract was signed at the Ministry of Health by Frank Mifsud, permanent secretary, and Francis Attard, contracts director, for the government, and Nazzareno Vassallo, for Care Malta Mellieha Ltd, in the presence of Health Minister Louis Deguara, and Parliamentary Secretaries Tonio Fenech and Helen D’Amato.

Miss D’Amato said they had 124 clients in three homes and an agreement has been signed with another home. Talks were also in progress with the Church.

The Mellieha home would accept elderly persons who were independent, semi-independent or dependent. The home would be totally accessible to persons with special needs.

Under the public-private partnership, the contractor would build and operate the home, forking out the capital expenditure for the building and maintenance. The government would pay for the service given once the home starts operating.

The government was bound to provide nursing care for residents and would pay for a high standard of hotel services, which would be provided by the contractor.

Mr Fenech said through the public-private partnership concept, the government partnered the private sector for projects in the interest of the community.

He said there have been other PPPs, such as in landscaping, the extension of the Zejtun home for the elderly and street-lighting by local councils but this contract was the first fully involving payment which was dependent on the quality of service given.

Dr Deguara said the Health Ministry was involved in four large projects at present: the opening of the Mater Dei Hospital, preparing for the transformation of Zammit Clapp Hospital into an oncology facility, building a rehabilitation facility at St Vincent de Paul, and the Mellieha home for the elderly.