ALMOST E85 million is to be spent on equipping and staffing new hospital facilities around the country — some of which have been lying idle for months.

SOME patients are taking anti-depressants to deal with the stress having to wait years to see a specialist, a patients’ advocate group claimed yesterday.

HOSPITAL waiting lists will take almost 20 years to clear at the current rate of progress, despite the Government’s election promise to eliminate the 30,000 backlog within two years.