Nationalist MP and Cardiologist Albert Fenech has expressed his bewilderment at the ‘controversy’ surrounding his employment with the private company that will be running the St Luke’s and Gozo General Hospitals.

The government and Labour Party both reacted to the news that Professor Fenech will be heading the Cardiology Department by saying it is the best possible endorsement of the privatisation project.

The Labour Party noted that the PN claimed that it had been kept in the dark over the project led by Vitalis Global Healthcare, despite one of its own MPs being “directly involved.”

The PL said this was another endorsement of its health policies, which have already led to a reduction of out–of–stock medicines, shorter waiting lists and improvements to the emergency department. 

The Nationalist Party countered this line of reasoning by saying that the government had stopped Professor Fenech from working at Mater Dei, and people were now forced to pay for his services whereas before they were given for free.

The PN MP was forced into retirement last year after being informed that he needed to make way for new blood.

The company behind the new hospital had recognised Mr Fenech’s value and trusted him to head its surgery department, the PN said.

“It is clear that cardiologist Albert Fenech can still be of service to Maltese patients. However the government saw things differently and threw him out.”

The Health Ministry rebutted this by stating that Professor Fenech’s services will, in fact, remain free-of-charge – as would all services under the €200 million contract.

Contacted yesterday, Professor Fenech was decidedly nonplussed about the whole matter.

“I can’t understand the controversy. The government has nothing to do with my employment. It was the company that approached me because of recommendations from people they knew. They asked me to set up a Cardiology Department at St Luke’s.  

“As I was unemployed at the time I jumped at the opportunity,” Professor Fenech said.

Asked if he discussed his decision to join Vitalis Global Healthcare given the Nationalist Party’s objections to the privatisation, Professor Fenech replied in the affirmative.

“I obviously discussed it with [Opposition leader] Simon Busuttil. I’m just a cardiologist heading a Cardiac Department. I am not on the executive board so I am not part of the decision–making process of the company as such. I am just there to set up a Cardiac Unit.”