Works to refurbish the Rabat Health Centre will be starting shortly, once tenders are awarded and the centre will be given a complete facelift, in an investment costing €0.5 million.

At a press conference yesterday, Health Minister Joe Cassar said that once works are completed, the centre will start giving new services. There will be another general practitioner’s clinic and a wound clinic.

A total of 1.2 million services were given from a total of eight health centres around the island last year and 55,000 of these were given from Rabat.

This health centre caters for residents of Rabat, Dingli and Mtarfa, Buskett, Baħrija and other small communities in the limits of Rabat, and also Attard.

Tenders for works will close on 23 May and once awarded, works should be finished within five months. During the interim period, services will continue being given from an alternative centre, yet to be identified, in Rabat.

Brian St John, CEO of the Foundation for Medical Services, said there will be a total refurbishment and this will include changes to the internal layout, so that it becomes more comfortable.

A new lift will be installed to improve accessibility.

Electricity and water systems as well as tiles will be replaced. A nurse call system will be installed in the rest rooms and medical gases will be introduced.

The space will be better used so that new areas are introduced in the existing layout.

The centre has two entrances but one will be closed and there will be direct access to the lifts.

Once plans are finalised and the alternative place from where services will start being given is identified, residents will be informed.