A grant of €8 million will be provided by the government to Hospice Malta in order to change a building in Santa Venera into a care home - St. Michael Hospice Complex.

The care home will offer centralised palliative care in a top-notch environment. Among others, the project includes a Day Therapy Unit and an Outpatients Clinic.

This project was announced during a press conference on Wednesday by Prime Minister Robert Abela together with the Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Communities Alex Muscat.

The building will also include an in-patients unit from which Hospice Malta will be able to offer a new service in 16 rooms in which patients will be able to receive palliative care and the necessary support surrounded by family and staff.

PM Abela said that the value of this project involves that of investing in people.

“With this project we are trying to alleviate some of the physical and emotional burden that palliative care brings with it. This will be done by supporting the invaluable work of Hospice,” Abela said.

He added “while our public health system offers an excellent service, this project will change the palliative care in our country from what we know it today.”

Abela pointed out that the National Social and Development Fund (NDSF) played a crucial role for the implementation of this project.

The signing of this agreement will join the series of social projects being carried out through the NDSF, including that with the Puttinu Cares Foundation, which will translate into a grant of €5 million in more apartments in central London and located a stone’s throw away from Great Ormond Hospital.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary Alex Muscat said that the NDSF will allow Hospice Malta to provide this service to the benefit of those in need of palliative care.

He added that the NDSF's aim is to contribute to projects of national importance and assist on projects that are of the highest public interest.

Hospice Malta Chairperson Bernadette Bonnici Kind said that the allocated funds will turn this dream of Hospice Malta into a reality.

She said that “we have received a generous and needed grant that will continue to help us carry out this ambitious project.”

The agreement was signed by Bernadette Bonnici Kind and Dr Oriella De Giovanni on behalf of Hospice Malta and Mr Raymond Ellul on behalf of NDSF.