Health Minister Dr Godfry Farrugia has said that Gozitan cancer patients who need to travel to Malta for chemotherapy will be offered free transport from Gozo, which will include a car rental service, until the Government fulfils its promise to offer chemotherapy in Gozo.

Speaking at a Public Consultation Meeting this evening the Minister said “until the service was up and running, patients who needed to travel to Malta would be given a personalised service including organised transport.”

“Last February, the former Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi had said that the project to set up chemotherapy in Gozo would cost €600,000.”

“However,” the Health Minister said “only €80,000 was actually allocated for the service in the Budget.”

The Minister said that Chemotherapy treatment will be offered to Gozitan patients by the end of this year.

The Minister continued, “we did not give up and we will not use this as an excuse not to provide the service. Each of the 11 or 12 patients who need the service are important to us. We are re evaluating the plan and we have managed to slash the cost to €200,000.”

The Minister pointed out that in Gozo there were 708 workers at the hospital, the majority of whom were not health providers, the majority of costs at the Gozo Hospital was in salaries.

In a statement by the PN earlier this evening it said “the Government continues to deny health services to patients even after the promises that were made.”

The PN said that “this mask reveals the hypocrisy of the current Government, that even before the election it was ready to play with the health of the patient for its political gain.”

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