Patients pay out of their own pockets while the Government wastes money

Half a million euro spent in three years on an idle machine that should be used to diagnose cancer

The Government has spent half a million euro on an idle machine while thousands of people in our country are having to pay out of their own pockets for medicines that are not on the formulary.

A story in this morning’s Times of Malta reveals how the Government spent half a million euro of taxpayers’ money on a lift and other works related to the cyclotron, a machine purchased for €4 million during the Vitals concession that should have been in use for cancer diagnosis long ago.

The public has paid dearly for this concession and, apparently, is still footing the bill.

This story is painful for the many patients battling this disease who still have to turn to voluntary organisations to obtain their treatment, or pay for it out of their own pockets.

It is also painful for thousands of elderly people who have to dip into their pensions to buy medicines that the Government is not providing.

While court orders must be respected, the 2024 freezing order does not explain the years and millions wasted beforehand. The Government must provide a full account of the expenditure and explain what steps it is taking, within the law, to bring this machine into use for the benefit of patients.

Meanwhile, we call on the Government to ensure that the forthcoming budget provides, among other measures, free access to all the medicines elderly people need, free continuous glucose monitoring devices for everyone who needs them, and the inclusion of all cancer treatments on the formulary.

For patients, every day lost is a day they cannot get back.

Stephen Spiteri
Shadow Minister for Health

10.10.2026