The Medical Association of Malta (MAM) said it hoped the government would conclude the on-going negotiations with it so that the new hospital could start functioning without further delay.

Welcoming the end of the hospital’s construction phase, MAM said that although negotiations had started very late, it was confident that there was enough goodwill on both sides for them to be concluded in the near future.

“MAM has made constructive proposals to modernise working conditions for doctors.

“With these changes, patients will be better served and both waiting times and waiting lists can be shortened, resulting in a true improvement in the delivery of services,” it said.

“If the government truly believes in making the new hospital work, it should be prepared to invest enough resources to retain its most valuable resource, medical manpower. Only then can the Lm250 million investment in construction and equipment be translated into true benefit to the patient.”