Chemotherapy will be offered to Gozitan patients by the end of the year, health minister Godfrey Farrugia said this evening during a public consultation held at Castille.

Dr Farrugia blamed the delay on budget problems inherited from the previous administration, saying that former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi had announced an oncology project in Gozo with a budget of €600,000. On taking up his post at the health ministry, Dr Farrugia said that the actual budget turned out to be a mere €80,000.

Dr Farrugia said that through various cost saving measures, the budget has been stretched to €200,000 for the project.

The health minister said that in the interim, the 12 patients travelling down from Gozo for chemotherapy will be offered a “personalised service enabling them to transit from Gozo to Malta.”

Dr Farrugia said that the Oncology centre in Malta will be completed on time, with a saving of €4 million.

Mismangement and waste

The minister highlighted more budgetary problem inherited from the previous government. He said that €8 million is spent on medicines and other consumables on a monthly basis, meaning an annual budget of €96 million. He said that he found a shortfall of €30 million on taking office.

Dr Farrugia also cited various examples of waste, having come across over €400,000 worth of expired medicines at Boffa hospital, as well as numerous other expired consumables and other materials at Mater Dei, including €300,000 worth of prostheses.

Offering an example of mismanagement by the previous administration, Dr Farrugia said that he came across a finished hall at Mount Carmel hospital,  but he noticed there was not a single electricity outlet to be found.  He said that the mismanagement was so bad that the plastering was done before the electricity conduits were installed. 

He noted that primary healthcare has not evolved in tandem with secondary and tertiary healthcare. As a result of this, 30% more people in Malta go to hospital for their healthcare needs when compared to the European average.

At the beginning of the meeting the minister gave out his mobile number to those present, inviting people to contact him whenever they felt the need.