Government pledged to give €5 million to Puttinu Cares last night, while the public raised €1.6 million.

A Good Friday fund raising marathon for Puttinu Cares on Xarabank was held yesterday. The Prime Minister said that the funds would come from the IIP scheme.

Puttinu Cares wants to  build 30 apartments in London for patients and their families who need treatment in the UK.

Prime Minister Muscat spoke of the need for such flats for patients who require more specialised care.

He said that this is not something that can wait, and that government understands central London flats are costly.

He said that he spoke with the persons running the National Development and Social Fund, who administer  the IIP funds, and they agreed to help.

The Prime Minister made the announcement through a phone call from Australia, where he is attending the opening of the Commonwealth Games.

Puttinu Cares, in a statement, said that with the funds collected yesterday, as well as in previous marathons, they are now in a position to purchase the central London project.

The donation however has stirred some controversy and a number of PN and PD MPs criticised the Prime Minister’s announcement.

 

PN Leader Adrian Delia also commented on Facebook, and said that the government is duty-bound to help the sick, the poor, the elderly etc. He said government's duty is take care of these. "That is government's job, duty, obligation. Not charity."

He said that he believes these apartments need to be built in London so that persons with cancer will have a place to live during their worst times. He spoke of the need to look at what is needed in the healthcare sector in general.