Speaker asked to rule as government insists Vitals deal is a health committee issue

Government and Opposition members of the Public Accounts Committee this evening crossed swords over a request to investigate the contracts signed for the privatisation of three state hospitals. After a heated two-and-a-half hour discussion the two sides could not agree on whether the committee should even investigate the contracts, and committee chairman Tonio Fenech said he would call on the Speaker to give a ruling. The PAC had received a request to review the contracts signed between the government and Vitals Global Healthcare for the privatisation of the Gozo, St Luke's, and Karen Grech hospitals. The request was submitted by the Medical Association of Malta as well as the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin last week, but Justice Minister and committee member Owen Bonnici insisted the matter should instead be referred to the health committee. READ: Vitals hits out at UĦM, MAM statements Mr Fenech meanwhile argued that a request made to the committee should not be referred to another, especially when the PAC was perfectly competent to investigate the matter. Opposition MP Chris Said said it was clear that government members did not want the matter to be reviewed by the...

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