Hospital needs more specialised wards for addiction patients

Nurses’ union MUMN has complained of a severe lack of beds in Mt. Carmel mental care hospital, especially beds for young patients and drug addicts.

The union said that when female drug addict patients were being admitted to Mt Carmel Hospital, only three beds were available for such patients.

“This amount is a far cry from the more than 400 female drug abusers in the country where literally half of them will suffer from mental health problems, as confirmed by parliamentary secretary Dr Chris Fearne. Not all drug addicts need a bed in hospital but a strong percentage would definitely need hospitalization,” MUMN president Paul Pace said.

Pace said Mt Carmel need specialised wards for patients with special needs. “Patients suffering with associated drug problems cannot be nursed with other patients suffering from general psychological illnesses. The same principle stands also when young patients are placed in adult wards.”

He said MUMN has been requesting the setting-up of the Female Dual Diagnosis Unit for the last four years, but that such a unit of just six beds is too small in number to address the nation’s needs.

“As for male drug addicts, the beds available are only ten. This is resulting with drug addicts being placed in wards which are not equipped both in structure and in human resources for such patients.

“MUMN is appealing to the government, especially to the finance minister, to increase the budget of Mt Carmel so as to build wards for special patients with special needs and to increase the community health services,” Pace said.