An isolated farmhouse in Gozo will soon be receiving guests who are after a little more than creature comforts and its beautiful location and swimming pools.

Saint James Anew will open its doors next month. Forming part of the Saint James Hospital Group, it will be Malta’s first privately owned centre for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. The others are owned either by the Church or by the state.

Caroline Twiss a former British police officer who has spent the past 15 years working with drug abusers said the aim of Anew was to provide help and support to the “students” and the skills to provoke personal change and stop the addiction.

Ms Twiss, one of Anew’s directors, said the programme will be based on complete abstinence from all mood altering drugs. One of the goals is to bring about a change of lifestyle.

“I truly believe in treatment. Addiction is a mental, emotional, physical and spiritual condition and that’s why it’s difficult for people to get out of it,” she said.

“Once you cross a line there is no turning back and you need help,” she said, adding that the psychological issues can start being addressed once the body is flushed of substances.

The beautiful farmhouse accommodates up to 24 students in large bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. It also has three swimming pools, gym, sauna and Jacuzzi. But this luxury does not come cheap. A year-long programme, three months of which are residential, costs Lm5,000.

The “unique programme” has been built by taking aspects from many rehabilitation programmes around the world which Ms Twiss has visited.

The first eight students will start the programme next month but Ms Twiss said between 15 and 20 had expressed interest even before the programme was launched.

Saint James Hospital’s managing director Josie Muscat said a survey carried out by the hospital showed that a number of Maltese were seeking treatment abroad because they valued privacy. Anew will be offering just that, which was why the directors would not divulge the precise location of the centre. But apart from offering Maltese clients an alternative to going abroad, the centre is also targeting foreigners.

“The response has been very encouraging,” he said.