Project in Hand

June 2011

The Gozo General Hospital which was built in the sixties is the only facility for Gozitans and foreign residents, including visiting tourists, in case they need primary medical care, and therefore it is imperative that this hospital is equipped with appropriate modern tools, more so those necessary for cardiac and heart related cases.

The Gozo Hospital CCU Monitors Foundation was set up late 2006 by Dame Carmen Bellamy, a Gozitan lady married to an Englishman, after her husband Paul had a brush with death when he suffered a heart attack

When Paul was taken to the Cardiac Care Unit which also serves as the ITU (Intensive Therapy Unit) at the Gozo General Hospital, the first thing Carmen noticed was the wonderful and caring team of medical personnel doing their best to cure her husband. She also noticed however the state of the two available Heart Monitors which were not only old and outdated, but also unreliable. At that point in time Carmen promised herself that if and when her husband recovers, she would set up a charitable Foundation to raise money to change the CCU Monitors for the benefit of all Gozo residents.

The Foundation was set up and officially registered as an NGO bearing registration number VO 0215,and is a member of the National Voluntary Organisation in Malta. The primary aim was to purchase seven monitors, one for each bed in the Cardiac and Intensive Therapy Unit, together with a ‘Central Monitoring Unit’ for the nurse’s station from where they can observe all the patients. The intention of the Foundation is not only to purchase and install the monitors in the CCU/ITU department and provide adequate training to the hospital staff in their proper use, but to purchase other equipment necessary for cardiac patients and others with critical health problems.

The Foundation, in less than four years, has purchased and installed a Monitor on each bed and a portable monitor for transportation of patients to both Malta and overseas if required. These Monitors are compatible with aircraft. Funds were raised through the generosity of the residents in Gozo and Malta, including a sizable number of foreign residents who settled on the Island, sponsorships from local companies, as well as through various activities that are organised by the Foundation throughout the year.  The Foundation, in line with its aim, intends to continue with its fundraising even now that all the monitors are installed, since as already mentioned other important equipment is lacking in various other departments of the hospital. For a list of achievements please visit

The project in hand is the purchase of two Ventilators for the CCU/ITU Ward. There is a desperate need for these Ventilators as the present ones are very old and need replacing. Once these Ventilators are installed, one could say that the CCU/ITU Ward of the Gozo Hospital is fully equipped to save lives.

What is a Ventilator?

When patients are very seriously ill they often need help with breathing. The most complex type of breathing support commonly used in ICU is a ventilator or respirator.

This machine 'blows' air and oxygen into the lungs via a tube in the windpipe. These machines work with the patient to provide the required number and type of breaths, supporting or controlling completely as necessary.

Last updated 30th May 2011