Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/934206
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 31 JANUARY 2018 News 7 ARCHBISHOP Charles Sci- cluna has been sent to Chile to look into allegations against a bishop accused of covering up clergy crimes against minors there. The Vatican on Tuesday said that Pope Francis sent the Archbishop after new in- formation has emerged about Bishop Juan Barros of the Chilean city of Osorno. Scicluna is the Vatican's top investigator on child abuse, having previously served as Promoter of Justice in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under the then- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He has notable reputation within the Church, having previously uncovered evidence of sexual abuse against the late founder of the conservative re- ligious order the Legionaries of Christ. Bishop Barros has been ac- cused of protecting his former mentor, Rev. Fernando Karadi- ma, who was found guilty in a Vatican investigation in 2011 of abusing teenage boys over many years. Karadima denies the allega- tions, and Barros said he was unaware of any wrongdoing. Just last week, the Pope told reporters abroad that he was sure Bishop Barros was inno- cent and that the Vatican had received no concrete evidence against him. Archbishop Charles Scicluna to investigate child abuse in Chile industrial action next week 29 March 2014: Cabinet reshuffle Godfrey Farrugia is removed from health min- ister. Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi is given also the health portfolio. Chris Fearne is appointed parliamentary secretary responsible for health. 10 October 2014 The investors behind Vitals Global Health- care sign a memorandum of understanding with Malta Enterprise for a public-private partnership in the health sector. The MOU has never been published. According to Konrad Mizzi, the MOU covered a project that only involved the Gozo hospital, something the government was not in- terested in. 23 November 2014 The Vitals investors sign a memorandum of understanding between them detailing a project that involves the Gozo hospital and possibly the acquisition of St Luke's (State-owned) or St Phil- ip's hospitals (owned by Frank Portelli). February 2015 A presentation drawn up by Vitals refers to their project as the Gozo and Malta medical complex. The presentation is used by the investors to at- tract finance to their project that includes St Luke's, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals. It also indicates that government would pay a minimum yearly sum of €70 million for beds that would be used in the public health service. The presenta- tion also speaks of a concession period spanning 99 years. 18 March 2015 The government signs an agreement with Barts Medical School for the opening of a campus in Gozo. The medical school will be part of the Gozo State hospital that will be built anew by a private company. 27 March 2015 Projects Malta under Konrad Mizzi's wing publishes a request for proposals seeking pri- vate investors to operate St Luke's, Karin Grech and the Gozo hospitals. The eventual arrange- ment will include a service concession for the management and operation of healthcare and ancillary services at the three hospitals. The winning company would have to invest €200 million to refurbish the hospitals and in Gozo's case, build a new general hospital. The com- pany would be allowed to run a private hospital on the sites in question. The RFP is very similar to the project Vitals had been advertising with financial institutions and banks in the preced- ing months. 27 June 2015 Vitalis Global Healthcare (the name of the group is subsequently changed to Vitals Global Healthcare) is chosen from among three bidders for the hospitals project. Mizzi says the conces- sion will be for 30 years and Vitalis will have to invest €200 million. Talks to finalise the agree- ment with the preferred bidder start. 30 November 2015 The concession agreement with Vitals is signed but not published. 22 March 2016 Vitals and Malta Industrial Parks, a government entity, enter into a public deed for the transfer of the building and land at St Luke's, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals on a 30-year lease. Vitals are given sole discretion to extend the lease agree- ment for a further 69 years through a judicial let- ter sent 12 months before the 30-year lease ex- pires. The government has an option to take back Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals after 30 years and if this option is not taken, Vitals could extend its lease on both facilities for another 69 years. 28 April 2016 In the wake of the Panama Papers revelations, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat removes Konrad Mizzi's health and energy portfolios and appoints Chris Fearne as health minister. The hospitals project remains entrusted to Projects Malta. 19 October 2016 Fearne publishes the concession agreement with Vitals in Parliament but all the financial details and other aspects deemed to be commer- cially sensitive are blacked out. Some of the finan- cial details are subsequently leaked to the Times of Malta, showing how government will fork out millions every year. 3 June 2017 The Labour Party is returned to government in a general election and Fearne is retained as health minister. 21 December 2017 News emerges that Vitals are selling the conces- sion to American company Steward Healthcare. Fearne confirms that an agreement has been reached and the transfer is contractually pos- sible. He says the government consented to the transfer, insisting Steward are the "real deal" be- cause the company manages 36 hospitals in the US. One of the Vitals investors, Ashok Rattehalli, files a court injunction to try and stop the sale but withdraws after being given assurances he will receive his share. 28 January 2018 MaltaToday reveals that Vitals found it difficult to raise the necessary finance for their project. A planned bond issue with Allianz, the German financial services provider, in early 2017 faltered while an attempt to attract finance from Deutsche Bank also failed. This left Vitals stranded, forcing them to talk with Steward for a possible takeover. 29 January 2018 Rattehalli files a second court injunction to try and block the Vitals sale to Steward. Court docu- ments confirm the existence of a memorandum of understanding the investors had with the gov- ernment, several months before the request for proposals had been issued in 2015. The Vitals timeline Some of the salient stepping stones in the hospitals saga expression of interest In October 2017 The Marigold Foundation had the pleasure of leading the Pink October Campaign. The funds raised during this year's successful campaign, will be used for providing a complimentary therapy programme to support medical treatment for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. This programme will run in collaboration with the Breast Care Unit at Mater Dei Hospital and medical professionals from within the same unit will be referring patients to the appropriate service providers. The Foundation is inviting service providers in the following therapy programmes to submit their proposals in offering any of the following services: a. Exercise (gyms/personal trainers) b. Dietary/Weight Management c. Smoking Cessation d. Yoga/Relaxation Classes Proposals should be submitted to The Marigold Foundation, 58 Triq San Żakkarija, Il-Belt Valletta VLT 1130 by not later than 15 February 2018.