Health reforms to prioritise cancer, community care for mental health patients

To this end, the health bill is expected to rise by €37.6 million to a total of €415.9 million.

Government has singled out the prevention and treatment of cancer for top priority, with a national programme of colorectal scanning to be launched next year; expected to build on the success of the existing breast screening programme, now in its fourth year.

Construction work on an Oncology Centre at Mater Dei Hospital commenced this year. The centre is envisaged to cost €59.6 million, and will cater for 74 patients as in-patients and 22 more patients in day care. It should start receiving its first patients in mid-2013.

With specific reference to the problem of waiting lists at Mater Dei Hospital, Fenech revealed that the number of operations carried out there increased last year by 9,031, to reach a total of 41,795 operations. Government aims to improve on this performance by availing of partnership agreements with private hospitals, in an initiative which will first target cataract operations and PET scans.

On the subject of mental health, government intends to invest more in community care, having completed three new day centres for mental healthcare in Żejtun, Paola, and Floriana alongside the existing centre in Kirkop. A new centre will be opened in Gzira at a cost of €450,000, and additional centres are also planned for Mosta, Rabat and Birkirkara.

Furthermore a number of apartments shall be allocated to the existing 'supportive housing' scheme, aimed at Mount Carmel hospital outpatients who have no accommodation of their own.

In addition, the Crisis Intervention Team, which deals primarily with problems involving mental health, is also to be strengthened.

Turning to the medicines sector, Fenech announced an imminent revision of the fifth and second schedules - which identify the pharmaceuticals offered for free on the national health service - to include new medicines for persons who suffer from chronic conditions, and who so far have had no assistance in buying their medication.

The Pharmacy of Your Choice scheme has also been extended, with 15 new pharmacies added recently in the south of Malta, providing services to an additional 4,000 people.

Health Centres will benefit from a refurbishment programme, and a strategy for obesity prevention shall be launched next year.