More investment in services for the elderly

The government intends to collaborate more with the private sector when it comes to services to the elderly, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this afternoon. He said that the formula used in the past years has resulted to be the best way forward both for the economy and the elderly. Speaking during a visit to Zammit Clapp Nursing Home in Sliema, Dr Gonzi said that public private partnerships had created  a new industry which was employing some 3,000 workers. In the past legislature, the government continued to improve its services and increased the number of beds at homes for the elderly by 1,000. The government was also utilising 450 beds in private homes giving elderly people the best services possible. Care Malta CEO Nathalie Briffa Farrugia said that the company had grown from  six employees at Casa Arkati to 700 workers in eight homes. A total 600 of Care Malta's employees are women.