The Government welcomes the agreement signed between Vitals Global Healthcare and leading United States-based healthcare operator Steward Health Care.

The Government is pleased with the fact that the agreement will strengthen the ongoing work even further, which will continue to deliver free and world-class healthcare facilities in Malta and Gozo, namely new hospitals in Gozo, St Luke’s and Karin Grech, as well as the creation of a Barts campus in Gozo.

Steward Health Care is the largest private healthcare operator in the United States, where it is responsible for a total of 36 hospitals employing some 37,000 professionals.

The Government of Malta is assured that the projects started by Vitals Global Healthcare will all be delivered as stipulated by the original contracts.

The agreement between Vitals Global Healthcare and Steward Health Care guarantees the continuation of work started by the former, in line with the standards the government set out in the PPP agreement. The agreement will be preserved in its entirety.

The insertion of a new operator in our healthcare system will in no way affect its main pillar–our healthcare service was and will remain free. In addition, Steward Health Care is bound, as was VGH, to retain the same conditions of work for all staff.  Furthermore, all agreements with unions will be retained.

The Government of Malta believes that the involvement of this US-based healthcare leader is a very important vote of confidence in the country.  This will lead to the further upgrading of Malta’s free universal healthcare system, thereby improving the health of our citizens and benefiting the local economy.​