Mater Dei Hospital was last night officially handed over to the government following the completion of the construction phase, just two days before the 1 July deadline imposed by the government on the developers.

It was a special night, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said during an activity to mark the handover of the Lm250 million hospital. “We are witnessing the materialisation of one of the foremost values that should guide policy-making in our country: solidarity,” he told the crowd present for a programme of activities held to mark the occasion.

The prime minister said the hospital “was built with the taxpayers’ money, with the ability of those who planned it and the commitment of all those who helped in the implementation” of the project.

Dr Gonzi said the real challenge has only just begun. Now that this beautiful building is ready, it must be brought to life by all those who will work in it, turning it into a centre of healing and life, he said.

He said that this can be accomplished in two ways. First of all, said the prime minister, patients should be at the centre of attention. He added that the new hospital houses top-class equipment that is just a tool to help those in need of treatment. Dr Gonzi said the thousands of excellent and committed employees at Mater Dei should only think about giving the best service to each and every patient.

Secondly, the prime minister also called for unity between all those involved in the running of the hospital. He pointed out that the Mater Dei Hospital will have a new player, NGOs, who will be giving their support to the hospital employees.

Dr Gonzi said the journey that was started years ago - design work on the hospital started in 1993 and construction work began in 1995 - led to yesterday's handover. "A far longer journey has just started, a journey that will give life to a building that will give life," Dr Gonzi said.

Health Minister Louis Deguara said his ministry will be overseeing the migration process from St Luke's Hospital to Mater Dei. He described it as a complex process as the service given at St Luke's must be carried out. However, he said, this process will be carried out without the patients undergoing the slightest risks.

The new hospital, said Dr Deguara, will be offering the Maltese a lot of opportunities. As from next year, Maltese doctors can undergo specialised training at Mater Dei instead of leaving the country to gain such knowledge.

The building of a new rehabilitation centre and the installation of new apparatus for the treatment of cancer are the next priorities, said the minister.

Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech said that one should not be surprised that the biggest project in Malta was carried out in the medical centre. He recounted how the Health Ministry had asked the Finance Ministry to take on the construction responsibilities so that the former can be wholly focused on the migration process and the necessary reforms in order to guarantee an excellent service.

Mr Fenech thanked all those involved in the project, especially the steering committee, all the workers, contractors and the Foundation for Medical Services.

Other short speeches were delivered by Marion Rizzo, Mater Dei Hospital chief executive officer, Moira Grixti, who was recently given the Worker of the Year Award, and Vickie Gauci, who represented the public.