The Nationalist Party has expanded on the first set of electoral health sector proposals announced on Tuesday night, promising among other things that it will build a new hospital in the north of Malta and offer all cancer medicines free of charge.

The party also pledged to upgrade the recently opened Paola Health Hub and turn it into a hospital, upgrade Mater Dei Hospital, and build a new General Hospital in Gozo – “a promise long made by Labour but never delivered.”

The proposals were presented by PN leader Alex Borg during the PN’s first campaign election rally on Tuesday night, and the party offered more details on them in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

The party’s top health proposal is to build new hospitals in Malta and Gozo: a brand new one in the north of Malta, expanding the Paola Hub, upgrading Mater Dei  Hospital “to meet increasing demand, improve patient care, and provide staff with an adequate working environment”, and to build a new Gozo General Hospital.

In addition to building new hospitals, the PN promised an “innovative healthcare proposal through the creation of a centre promoting a better lifestyle – a structural reform addressing a long-standing gap: a new facility dedicated to prevention, early intervention, and rehabilitation.”

“This National Healthcare Park –  Lifestyle and Rehabilitation Centre – would act as the first line of defence against disease and a bridge back to health after hospital care,” the PN said.

Beyond this, the PN said it would “introduce a process to eliminate waiting times for hospital operations” – although what the process is was not specified – and would also expand rehabilitation and intermediate care services outside acute hospitals, ensuring that patients who do not require intensive care do not occupy acute beds, thereby improving recovery times and system flow.

The party promised community-based mental health services, with modern facilities and support also extended to schools, increased investment in healthcare workers, including better conditions, career progression, training, and salaries, and to introduce a unified digital medical record system and a “digital front door” for healthcare services.

Furthermore, the party promised to strengthen primary health centres to offer urgent care, diagnostics, and minor procedures in one location, with extended opening hours, and to ensure coordinated discharge planning and community follow-up, so that patients continue receiving care after leaving hospital.

Finally, the PN committed to providing all cancer medicines prescribed by consultants free of charge, “eliminating the need for patients to struggle to access treatment.”

 “The first two pillars — the network of new hospitals and the development of a high-quality lifestyle centre — will function as one integrated system: hospitals focusing on high-quality acute care, and a centre dedicated to improving people’s quality of life,” the party said in its statement.

The party added that this network will ensure a fair distribution of services, reduce pressure on Mater Dei Hospital, and improve access to healthcare close to where people live, with a hospital in every region of the country.

“The PN aims to deliver A Fresh Start to our country also in healthcare – a Fresh Start that this country is yearning for,” the party concluded.