Over the next few months, the Foundation for Medical Services – whose remit is the provision of comprehensive project management solutions, human resources, consultation and engineering expertise to the public healthcare sector – is targeting the development and implementation of new services galvanized to positively impacting patient-care on the islands.

The entity, helmed by its new Chief Executive Officer, Dr Robert G. Xuereb, will be expanding the Emergency Department, Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU), and Cardiac Catheterization Suite at Mater Dei Hospital. These are vital initiatives innervated by FMS’ many years operating in healthcare, and its leadership’s understanding of the lacunae on the island. 

FMS is also working towards improving the connectivity and transportation of patients through the launch of a Helipad Project at Mater Dei Hospital, and the Gozo General Hospital. The CEO asserts that FMS is focused on getting this done “in the shortest time possible,” and insists that “each and every one of these projects is critical. Helipads at our two main hospitals will ensure timely access to medical care where every minute counts such as in a heart attack patient.”

The Vincent Moran Regional Hub in Paola

Moreover, FMS is also currently involved in various initiatives to ensure the healthcare system remains efficient. One of these, the CEO explains, is the Vincent Moran Regional Hub in Paola, set to become Malta's first regional secondary healthcare hub. “This facility will alleviate pressure from Mater Dei Hospital by offering comprehensive health services including outpatient clinics, cardiac non-invasive investigations, day surgeries, and rehabilitation sessions,” Dr Xuereb says.

In addition to this, the New Establishment of Blood, Tissues and Cells is being built close to Mater Dei. “This project is another groundbreaking initiative. It too will be of the highest international standards. It will bring about transformative changes in patient care with the provision of new forms of stem cell treatment. Patients who currently have to go abroad to receive treatment will be treated locally,” the CEO says.

In the advancement of each of these initiatives, the entity’s “meticulous approach at the design stage of each project” prioritises “pollution reduction, human health, and the adoption of emerging technologies.” This stance, the CEO states, ensures that FMS helps to create “healthcare environments that promote healing, comfort, and stress reduction, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes.”

The New Establishment of Blood, Tissues and Cells is being built close to Mater Dei

This is in line with FMS’s strategic priorities. “My focus is to set FMS’s direction towards provoking positive change in the sector” by “streamlining operations, enhancing efficiency, and strengthening partnerships with key stakeholders”, the CEO says. 

To this end, the entity, which is also responsible for recruiting various managerial, professional, technical, and support personnel on behalf of the Ministry for Health, will continue to initiate projects aimed at providing quality care. This, Dr Xuereb says, is set to get more challenging as the years progress, as a result of Malta’s ageing and increasing population. The goal is to deliver quality “healthcare infrastructure” across the Maltese islands, and to do so “to the latest and highest international standards.” Moreover, Dr Xuereb intends “to engage the FMS team, build and retain talent, develop leaders throughout the organization, and encourage an open working environment.” 

Dr Xuereb’s energy is also focused on ensuring the Foundation surpasses its scope, for “it’s a forward-thinking government entity”, whose “expertise, professionalism, commitment, and dedication are driving the transformation of the healthcare landscape and services in Malta and Gozo,” he says.

Dr Xuereb is, indeed, no stranger to hard work or innovative thinking. As a healthcare professional himself, he, brings with him decades of valuable experience in the field. In the early 1990s, he pioneered interventional cardiology in Malta. He was also the President of the Maltese Cardiac Society from 2013 to 2023, as well as the Chairperson of the Department of Cardiology of Mater Dei Hospital from 2014 to 2024. “My motto was all along that of ‘putting the patient first’. I intend to follow through with this motto in my new role of CEO FMS.”

Looking ahead, the FMS will remain attuned to the continuous feedback from healthcare providers and stakeholders. “FMS will be committed to evolving in tandem with the shifting needs and demands of Malta's healthcare. This evolution will be marked by a sustainable and responsible approach, characterised by the embracement of technological advancements, the cultivation of innovation, and the adaptation to emerging international trends in healthcare delivery,” the CEO asserts, concluding.