PN insist on revocation of hospital development waiver laws

The Nationalist Party has reiterated their call on the government to revoke two legal notices that exempt hospital developments from environmental impact assessments.

“These legal notices go against EU laws, as well as against the sense of safety that should prevail in hospitals,” Opposition MPs Marthese Portelli and Ryan Callus said in a joint statement, noting that the Malta Medical Association has also voiced its opposition against the legal notices.

The MPs said that energy minister has already performed half a U-turn when he said on the TV programme Dissett that the legal notices won’t be applicable for development by Vitalis Global Healthcare – the winning bidder for a €200 million investment project into St. Luke’s Hospital, Karin Grech Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital.

“It is obvious that these legal notices were introduced to allow development on these hospitals to proceed without any prior permits or studies. The government is now backtracking due to increasing pressure.

“However, promises uttered by Konrad Mizzi and Joseph Muscat count for nothing, which is why it is crucial that the government instantly revoke these legal notices.”

The Opposition last month filed a parliamentary motion, calling on the government to revoke these legal notices.