Nurse awarded €208,000 in damages for unfair dismissal
Court awards nurse €208,000 in damages for unfair dismissal and ordered his immediate reinstatement at work after being sacked in 2008.
The First Hall of the Civil Court presided by Mr. Justice Silvio Meli this afternoon awarded nurse Mario Galea €208,000 in damages for unfair dismissal from his job at Mater Dei Hospital, and ordered his immediate reinstatement.
The Court ordered that the Principal Medical Officer and the Director General for Health Services to pay the damages and have him reinstated.
The two government officials who have already given notice of appeal to the decision argued that Gerada was dismissed over a series of practices which may have direct consequences on patient's health.
But the court noted that from evidence brought before it, "it may well be the case that the complaints raised against Gerada may have been untrue and intended to discredit him."
The Court said that Gerada's sacking at 53 years of age had come as a shock to him, because there were never any warnings from his superiors.