Health committee chairman 'willing' to discuss Mater Dei

PN secretary-general Chris Said told a press conference earlier today that the Parliamentary committee on health was not willing to discuss the situation regarding the weak structure of the Accident and Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital. The PN had earlier called for an urgent Parliamentery debate in the wake of tests that were carried out on Mater Dei's Accident and Emergency department. These tests confirmed that inferior quality concrete was used to construct certain pillars in the department. 

“This is a serious issue and it should be discussed in Parliament to put peoples' minds at rest,” Said said. “Etienne Grech, the chairman of the Parliamentary committee on health, is not willing to discuss it in Parliament though.”

However, the government published a letter sent by the same Etienne Grech, who accepted the opposition’s demand to hold an urgent sitting to discuss the matter.

The statement said that “the revelation of inferior quality concrete used at Mater Dei calls for an urgent investigation by the police and by an external body, to ensure that all details of the hospital’s construction are known.”

In addition, the government said that once these details emerge, criminal and civil cases will be opened, while political, technical and commercial responsibilities will be shouldered as necessary.

“In this context, the highest institution in Malta must discuss the situation for the sake of transparency and accountability."