Prime Minister Robert Abela, together with Minister for Health and Active Ageing Jo Etienne Abela, visited the operating theatres at Mater Dei Hospital to see first-hand how the record investment that the Government is making in the health sector is leading to more interventions and better services for Maltese and Gozitan patients.
During his visit to the Operating Theatres section, the Prime Minister had the opportunity to meet with patients who were about to undergo surgery during the day. Here he also visited the surgeons as they prepared to begin performing the day’s interventions, while seeing up close the surgical robotic equipment whose investment is reducing complication rates and recovery times. During this visit, the Prime Minister also visited the hospital’s administration building which is currently undergoing intensive maintenance and renovation to transform it from an office building into two wards with 47 beds.
In the last year, the number of operations has increased significantly thanks to investment in robotic surgery and the outsourcing system with private hospitals. In 2025, interventions such as hip and knee replacements increased sharply. Knee replacement interventions alone increased to 890 compared to 390 in 2024, while endoscopy interventions reached more than 13,000, an increase of almost 2,400 over the previous year. This is thanks to the introduction of advanced procedures such as Capsule Endoscopy, which allows images of the interior to be taken through a capsule without any pain or anesthesia.
All these advances have been made possible thanks to Government investment in the health sector. Last year, the Government invested €14 million in a system of collaboration between the Government and the private sector which resulted in reduced patient waiting times for various types of interventions, including bone, hernia, and radiological ones such as CT and MRI scans. With the Budget for next year, capital investment in health will increase to €107 million, an increase of 4% over this year. This comes as the Government will start three major projects: a 300-bed hospital in St. Vincent de Paul, a new mental health hospital and the extension of the Emergency Department.
Prime Minister Robert Abela said : “The unprecedented investment in the health sector is concrete evidence of a Government that places people at the centre of its policy. For every additional operation we manage to perform, for every patient who recovers faster, we are providing a better life for Maltese and Gozitan families.” He praised all professionals for the work they do every day so that the Maltese health system continues to offer the best service.
Source: OPM
Photos: OPM
