Talks between Vitals and Steward started last September, health minister says

The opposition has criticized the privatization process for several hospitals, saying it lacked transparency. “A Memorandum of Understanding, between Vitals and the government, was drawn up in February last year, before the request for proposals for the hospitals was even issued. This is enough to make one think,” Stephen Spiteri, a Nationalist MP and health spokesperson, said. “Moreover, apart from the transparency problem, Vitals had no track record in the health sector and they never administered hospitals. When you grant a tender, you would usually choose someone with experience.”