Steward Health Care Malta (SHCM) has remained mum on its timeline for the refurbishment, demolition and reconstruction of the St Luke’s and Karin Grech hospitals complex, after it refiled a master plan for the project in a new planning application earlier this year.

While the majority of the main St Luke’s Hospital block will remain standing, and would be refurbished as per the master plan, many surrounding buildings, including Karin Grech Hospital, would be demolished. The plans show that a number of new buildings would be constructed in their stead. Four particular buildings are labelled on the plans as “future alternative use”.

What seems to be the same master plan had been filed with the Planning Authority in an application back in 2019, but is listed as having been withdrawn on 26 August 2022. A new application containing the master plan was filed just a few days later.

This newsroom sent Steward Health Care Malta a number of questions regarding the St Luke’s master plan and asked for a timeline in terms of the demolition, refurbishment and construction involved in the project; for the cost of implementing the plans and whether any public funds would be used; for information as to what kind of changes it envisages for the operation of the hospital, whether it intends to introduce new services and treatments, why it proposes the demolition of certain buildings and construction of new ones instead of just refurbishing the ones on site and for the ratio of public to private patients envisaged, among other things.

In response to the questions, a Steward Health Care Malta spokesperson said: “Steward Health Care Malta (SHCM) has submitted its master plan to the Planning Authority for the rehabilitation and upgrading of St Luke’s Hospital, Karin Grech Hospital and Gozo General Hospital for medical healthcare and ancillary facilities. We believe that the plans offer the best course of action to provide a fully integrated, patient-centric and coordinated model of care to the Maltese communities in modern facilities that are fit for purpose and designed by experienced medical professionals. We are currently working closely with the Government of Malta to review the needs and update the service scopes for the patients and citizens of Malta, ensuring that we continue to invest in and provide first class healthcare across our operations.”

But the company did not provide any information as to the timeline of the project, nor on its cost. It also didn’t provide an explanation as to why the master plan was re-filed, rather than just continuing through with its original application.

The future of Steward Health Care’s control of the hospitals is currently in question. PN MP Adrian Delia had filed a court case in 2018, asking the courts to force the cancellation of the concession agreement and return St Luke’s Hospital, Karin Grech Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital to public control, arguing that Vitals Global Healthcare and subsequently Steward Health Care did not fulfil their contractual obligations. A decision on this case is expected in January.

The project description statement (PDS) on the Environment and Resources Authority’s website, which was filed in 2020 but is now listed as being applicable for the latest planning applications, envisages the redevelopment of St Luke’s Hospital complex into a healthcare campus comprising a total of 462 beds, facilities for rehabilitation and a number of other ancillary facilities and services. It describes the St Luke’s Hospital complex, which was part of the concession agreement between the government and Vitals Global Healthcare in 2015, which concession was later passed on to Steward Health Care in 2018, as being in “a state of relative disrepair” with the “exception of the Karin Grech Hospital” which is still in use. It said that the St Luke’s main building is vacant, “however, several of the out-buildings, including Karin Grech, CDAU, the Hyperbaric Unit, the mortuary and the Outpatients building are still in use”.

Questions were also sent to the Health Ministry, asking whether any public funds would be used for the project and if there is a target date set in the contracts as to when the works at St Luke’s and Karin Grech hospitals are meant to start and conclude.

“Government is committed to ensuring that Steward Health Care adheres to its contractual obligations including the reconstruction and embellishment of St Luke’s Hospital and Karin Grech Hospital.  The Deputy Prime Minister has been clear on this matter and that position remains unchanged. It is incumbent on Steward Health Care to ensure their full and rigorous compliance with the concession terms and targets,” a spokesperson for the health ministry responded.

Aside from the master plan application, two other planning applications for the St Luke’s complex have also been filed this year. One deals with minor alterations to one of the building’s facades, but the other one deals with some of the actual works indicated in the master plan. It proposes the upgrading of St Luke’s Hospital including the demolition of a number of buildings like the outpatients building, doctors’ quarters, hyperbaric and ITU, among others. It also proposes excavation for an underground car park, the rehabilitation of the existing main building and ancillary chapel, the construction of an underground car park and rehabilitation centre.

This latter application also seems to be very similar, if not the same, as the one that had been filed in 2020 but was withdrawn earlier this year.

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has made some comments.  “As stated in its reply to the withdrawn PA 1635/20 (the previous version of this application), the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage had engaged with this proposed development at a pre-submission stage, having inspected the property and having expressed reservations on the extensive demolition as proposed. The Superintendence strongly urges that the architectural and historical value of the various parts of the complex should be recognised and that significant buildings should be preserved and integrated into the development. In particular, the Superintendence notes with concern, the proposal to demolish the Outpatients Building, the Boiler House and the Kitchen. These structures, while not scheduled by the Planning Authority, have a degree of architectural and historical value that would warrant a more appropriate treatment.”