PM inaugurates new PET scanner at Mater Dei

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi this morning inaugurated a €3 million CT and PET facility at Mater Dei Hospital which will boost efforts to diagnose cancer. At the centre of this new facility is CT/PET hybrid scanner that was mostly financed by the Swiss Government as part of the Swiss-Maltese cooperation programme. “This is another step in the leap of quality in healthcare we have been talking about. Mater Dei Hospital opened five years ago but things did not stop there,” said Dr Gonzi, thanking Swiss Ambassador Bernardino Regazzoni for his country’s investment. He added that such investments had to be coupled with the training of personnel, and he thanked the Swiss Government for also providing training to doctors who would now be in a position to train others locally. Dr Gonzi said the equipment would help in cancer diagnosis, using the latest technology to provide the best results.