A new €11.5 million wing at Mater Dei Hospital which is to be used as a medical assessment unit is to open its doors in the first week of November, the government announced today.

Members of the media were this morning given a tour of the new wing which is set to host some 64-plus beds. The wing will also have a hospitality lounge which will include all amenities for patients who would have been discharged from hospital but awaiting a discharge letter or to be collected by relatives or friends.

An observation ward will also be created. The EU will be funding the majority of the costs of the project, that is €9.5 million, while the rest will be funded by the government.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Chris Fearne said that Mater Dei deals with an average 240 admissions daily, a third of which are emergency admissions.

Some 120,000 patients are seen to by Casualty yearly, he continued.

He said that any criticism which arises on the fact that some patients are kept in beds in corridors is justified and the government did something about the situation. He said that eventually, a number of other floors will be built on the new wing.

“We want to give a five-star service to all patients,” he said. Some 60 new health care professionals will be working in the new wing.

Health Minister Konrad Mizzi said the aim of the new unit is to observe patients for the first 48 hours after they are admitted to hospital until they are discharged or transferred to other wards.

Dr Mizzi thanked all involved in the project for their efforts.

Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Ian Borg said that health is a priority, hence the millions of euros which were allocated to this project.

He explained that due to tight deadlines imposed by the EU when it comes to funding, the project had to be ready by the end of this year. He said he was surprised to see that a project of this sort reached its final phase in less than a year.