Confusion in the tendering process for the building of the health hub in Paola has led to patients and professionals experiencing exaggerated delays in improvements for primary care, PN health sector spokesperson Stephen Spiteri and MEP Francis Zammit Dimech said in a statement.

The PN said that due to the confusion in the tendering process, the government was going to end up spending €4 million more of the taxpayer's money than it should.  The appeals court had confirmed this when it raised serious doubts on the tender process, it said.

The party said that the Opposition would continue to ensure that the people get what they deserve from what is spent on taxpayer's money instead of seeing it be lost through confusion by the government.

"Instead of carrying out propaganda, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne should have said that instead of having a hub built in decent time, it will be the patients who will suffer due to delays in works as a result of confusion on the part of the government", it said.

The PN noted that the "socialist" government has a long history of messing with tenders and contracts in the health sector, citing the sale of three hospitals to Vitals Global Healthcare, a company which Spiteri described as having no experience whatsoever in the health sector.

"People are still asking where the €50 million which the government gave to Vitals went", the statement read.

This all continues to build on the shortcomings of the health sector, after days ago the total abandonment of the government showed towards the health sector was confirmed, it said.

"it's shameful that the socialist government has money for corruption but does not have money for vulnerable patients who are suffering from mental health problems and for the health sector", the PN said.

"The government must stop playing with people's health", it concluded.