PAC’s failure to agree on hospitals deal probe leaves unions disappointed

The UHM Voice of the Workers and the Medical Association of Malta (Martin Balzan) have expressed their disappointment at the failure of members of parliament to agree to probe the hospitals’ privatisation deals.

“All this opposition only serves to increase concerns amongst workers and patients and to cast further doubts on the contracts,” Balzan said, on behalf of the two unions. “This is yet another clear example of how the government hinders a listening process and fails to be transparent.”

Last night, the Public Accounts Committee met to discuss a request raised by the two unions for the committee to investigate the agreements signed with Vitals Global Healthcare. The unions also requested the PAC to ask the Auditor General to analyse the contracts.

But government MPs said that PN MP Claudette Buttigieg had already requested the parliamentary health committee – chaired by Labour MP Etienne Grech – to investigate the matter and the committee had agreed to do so. Buttigieg yesterday told PAC she was ready to withdraw her request in order to allow PAC to lead the scrutiny of the deals.

PAC chairman Tonio Fenech at first suggested that the matter should be jointly discussed by the two committees. The government MPs, led by Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, however insisted that the matter should be referred to the health committee. After all, they argued, the health committee was competent enough to study the contracts and health-related matters.

With Fenech arguing that the unions had specifically approached PAC, and Bonnici sticking to his guns, a Speaker’s ruling was requested. It is now up to Anglu Farrugia to decide whether the unions’ request will be acceded to.

Vitals Global Healthcare won a 30-year concession to operate the Gozo General Hospital - Gozo's only hospital - Karin Grech Hospital and St Luke's.

Parliamentary questions on how much the government has paid VGH on services provided so far were not answered. The questions were raised by PN MP Chris Said.