New reception area inaugurated at Karin Grech Hospital

The newly refurbished reception area at Karin Grech Hospital was inaugurated on Tuesday, following an investment of €90,000 by the hospital’s operators.

In a statement, Steward Health Care, which runs three of Malta’s public hospitals, said the area was now equipped to deliver a “more welcoming experience” to patients and their family members.

The reception area, it said, was “completely stripped and re-done” and fitted with an “air-conditioning system, new flooring, décor and automatic doors”. Steward said that all soft furnishings used were made of anti-microbial material and follow the highest health care standards.

Present for the inauguration were President of Steward Health Care International, Dr Armin Ernst, COO of Steward Malta, Dr Nadine Delicata, and CEO of Karin Grech Hospital, Dr Stephen Zammit.

Zammit said that the reception area is the first interior area where “guests get acquainted with the style, ambience and service standards of the hospital”.

“Just like people, spaces in buildings embody distinct personalities and convey a message about who we are and the standards we uphold,” Zammit said, adding that the area would give employees a “small taste” of what the hospital would like once it has been fully modernized.

Delicata said she was delighted to see the project come together.

“It is important to recognize the significant amount of work going on behind the scenes, but tangible and visible infrastructural changes do well to uplift the spirits of all those who visit this space,” she said.

Delicata said that Stewards work in Malta and Gozo had now “picked up good pace” and that improvements would continue to be seen. She said that this week had also seen the arrival of an additional seven new patient transport vehicles in Karin Grech Hospital, with more expected in the coming days. 

“In Gozo, the Barts Medical school is progressing at a very fast pace, and in September we will also have the pleasure of opening the new anatomy centre, Steward Malta’s vision for both hospitals is to transform these institutions into JCI-accredited hospitals with top quality facilities that we can all be proud of,” she added.

Finally, Delicata said that work on a masterplan for Karin Grech and St Luke’s hospital campuses was also currently underway.

This, she said, will allow for all the service lines to be mapped out in order for any planned hospital infrastructure to truly meet the requirements to be able to provide high level quality care.