Government ordered to pay €809,485 for unused hospital plans

A court has ordered the government to pay architect Valerio Schembri €809,485.33 for his plans to convert Zammit Clapp Hospital into an Oncology Hospital. The plans remained unused when the government opted to build a new oncology hospital adjoining Mater Dei Hospital instead of using Zammit Clapp. Architect Schembri instituted his court case against the Chief Government Medical Officer, claiming that he had been requested by the Health Department to give his advice on the setting up of the Oncology Hospital. The Health Department contested that it ever asked the architect to draw up the plans and said it issued no document for the purpose. The Court, presided by Mr Justice Raymond Pace, found in favour of the architect after hearing evidence from, among others, former Health Minister Louis Deguara and former Parliamentary Secretary Helen D'Amato and considering documents prepared for the Cabinet and others presented to Mepa. The government was also ordered to pay interest.