On 21st October we found out, thanks to The Malta Independent, that there is a clause in the (published) health services delivery agreement which says:

“in the event of any enquiries (including those by the media, Parliament or any governmental or official body) being received by the concessionaire (VGH) about this agreement or the services, the concessionaire shall immediately refer the matter to government, and will make no formal or informal response to such enquiries without government’s prior written consent”.

The clause also states that the Government’s decision in relation to the aforementioned is final and conclusive.

In addition, a separate clause within the Services Concession agreement reads that the government “retains absolute discretion whether it discloses any information to the House of Representatives, the Auditor General, the Accountant General, the Parliamentary Ombudsman and any other public body, without any need of consulting or obtaining the consent of the concessionaire for this disclosure”.

This effectively means this government has issued a gag order on the release of all possible information from VGH; and that the government reserves the right of its own non-disclosure of information, even if requested by Parliament.

Recently, both the UHM and MAM asked the Public Accounts Committee to look into the VGH-government deal covering the operation of the Karin Grech Rehabilitation Hospital, St Luke’s Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital.

MAM also indicated that they would be willing to sit down and talk with VGH; but that they will keep insisting on the healthcare contracts being fully released and audited.

This government is responsible for the stewardship of significant public resources when making decisions about the commissioning of healthcare and all other public sector services, including energy and education.

In order to ensure and be able to evidence that any decision they make secures the best possible services for the population it serves, the government must and should demonstrate accountability, probity and transparency in all the decision-making processes it undertakes and to all relevant stakeholders, and in particular to the general public whom they are there to serve.

Given the above clauses, it is abundantly clear that there will never ever be any release or publication of the healthcare agreements and contracts in full; or any independent and full audit undertaken of the healthcare negotiations or agreements reached with the healthcare private sector investors and their sponsors.

Malta appears to be well and truly down the rabbit hole of official government impunity, and the arbitrary spending of public funds.

It is utter madness. We are talking here about the government negotiating and agreeing a 30 year contract for the future delivery of healthcare services, with a private individual who rocked up out of nowhere, has no healthcare knowledge or background and who mismanaged and misappropriated funds of a spa and lodge in Canada.

By taking these 600 unemployed off the register does wonders for the statistics and does not go against EU rules – employing loads of people to improve statistics is illegal.

Thank God for the PN he resigned when he did. He must have been very busy post election in this “contract”

He explained: “A high level of healthcare can only be sustainable if the country attracts foreign patients to its shores …..these foreign paying medical tourists would essentially finance part of the health service……that is why we are attracting foreign investment.”

Well let’s all fervently hope and pray. Hope that in their pursuit of medical tourism gold, VGH and the government have developed an agreed national medical tourism strategy that will make Malta’s future healthcare services sustainable; and pray that the agreement made to reserve 100 beds specifically for this niche market has not been reached on an “if we build it, they will come basis” with the inherent risk that these beds remain empty.