In light of the public statement by Steward Health Care announcing their exercising of the contractual provisions to terminate their agreement with the government to provide healthcare and management and operation of St Luke’s, Karin Grech and Gozo General hospitals, and the Barts Medical School, ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said the government must unequivocally consider the best possible position for the state in taking back the hospital facilities as part of the process of their proper management for the benefit of the public.
Steward is blaming the government, that is us, for its inability to deliver on its promises. The issue remains that millions were paid to Vitals and then Steward with very little or nothing to show for. The case remains very much open.
Cacopardo insisted that our government must explain in very clear terms how it intends to ensure that we are made whole on the loss suffered over these years.
Furthermore, in light of the recent court judgment labelling the agreements with Vitals and SHCI as fraudulent and potentially corrupt, ADPD calls on the government to immediately publish the full unredacted copy of the original Vitals contract and any further appendices and/or side agreements with both Vitals and Steward without the heavy redaction with which it was presented to parliament by ex-health Minister Konrad Mizzi.
Failure to do so carries a host of undesirable implications against the government, which may include collusion with Steward, fear of sensitive and incriminating evidence being made public by Steward or lack of political will due to incompetence by the prime minister and his health minister deputy, concluded Cacopardo.
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Nipproteġu lil pajjiżna mill-ftehim ma’ Vitals/Steward Health Care
Wara li ġie dikjarat minn Steward Health Care li se jeżerċitaw id-dritt tagħhom biex jitterminaw il-ftehim li għandhom mal-Gvern biex jipprovdu l-kura u t-tmexxija tal-operat tal-isptarijiet San Luqa, Karin Grech u dak ta’ Għawdex, kif ukoll l-iskola medika ta’ Barts, iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo qal li l-Gvern għandu jikkunsidra mingħajr dewmien l-iktar pożizzjoni vantaġġjuża biex pajjiżna jieħu lura dawn il-faċilitajiet fi proċess li jirritorna it-tmexxija tagħhom għall-benefiċċju tal-poplu.
Steward qiegħed iwaħħal fil-Gvern, jiġifieri pajjiżna, għan-nuqqas tagħhom li jwettqu dak li wegħdu. Jibqa’ l-fatt li miljuni ta’ Ewro ġew imħallsa lil Vitals u lil Steward bi ftit li xejn riżultati x’juru. Dan jibqa’ każ kollu kemm hu miftuh.
Cacopardo insista li l-Gvern għandu jispjega bl-aktar mod ċar x’beħsiebu jagħmel biex jassigura li it-telf li sofrejna matul dawn is-snin ikollu jitpatta b’mod sħiħ.
Barra minn hekk, fid-dawl tas-sentenza tal-Qorti li iddikjarat il-ftehim li sar mal-Vitals u imbagħad ma’ Steward bħala frawdulenti u potenzjalment korrotti, ADPD titlob lill-Gvern biex immedjatament jippubblika l-verżjoni sħiħa tal-kuntratt oriġinali mal-Vitas, kif ukoll xi appendiċi jew ftehimiet oħra li saru kemm ma’ Vitals u kif ukoll ma’ Steward, mingħajr dak il-qtugħ li kien sar meta l-ex-Ministru tas-Saħħa Konrad Mizzi kien preżentahom fil-Parlament.
Fin-nuqqas ta’ dan jkun hemm tħassib serju fil-konfront tal-Gvern, inkluż dwar kollużjoni ma’ Steward, biża’ li informazzjoni sensittiva u inkriminanti tista’ tiġi ippubblikata minn Steward jew nuqqas ta’ rieda politika minħabba l-inkompetenza tal-Prim Ministru jew id-Deputat tiegħu li huwa wkoll il-Ministru tas-Saħħa, temm jgħid Cacopardo.
