CareMalta Ltd receives €1.93 million for elderly home services

The government paid €3.86 million to private companies and the Archdiocese of Malta for services provided to the elderly in private residential homes, between January and September 2012.

In the 9 month period, CareMalta, a private elderly care provider owned by construction magnate and well-known PN donor and activist Nazzareno Vassallo, received €1.93 million for the services it provided.

The information was revealed by Health Minister Joe Cassar, in reply to a Parliamentary question tabled by Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis. CareMalta was paid €1.93 million for the services provided at Casa Arkati, Villa Messina and Roseville Home.

The minister did not provide any details in regards to Zammit Clapp Hospital, which provides a specialised service to elderly patients requiring assessment, management and rehabilitation through an interdisciplinary approach.

Zammit Clapp Hospital is managed by CareMalta, however Cassar refused to publish the contract when asked in a parliamentary question earlier this year, and declined to publish it when asked by MaltaToday.

The refusal to publish a copy of the contract had opened up Cassar - and government - to questions of favouring confidentiality on a public matter, on the basis of political allegiance, due to the ownership of CareMalta.

Cassar had insisted that the contract cannot be made public due to a third party signatory that did not give its permission for a copy of the contract to be published.

In his reply to the Parliamentary question on Monday, Cassar also said that the government paid Care Services Ltd €802,948 for the services provided at Casa Serena, Age Concern Ltd €687,023 for the services provided at Central Home and €144,437 were paid to St James Hospital.

The Archdiocese of Malta received €288,946 for the services it provided in three Church residential homes