'Those who peddled rumours should be held responsible' – Health Minister

Those who peddled rumours and misinformation on the sudden death of Stephen Mangion should be held responsible for their actions, health minister Jo Etienne Abela said on Tuesday.

Abela was speaking at a press conference held hours after his ministry published the proces-verbal of the magisterial inquiry into Stephen Mangion’s death. Mangion died in Mater Dei Hospitals’ emergency department after suffering chest pains, but his death sparked widespread outrage as many claimed his death was the result of negligence from emergency staff. The inquiring magistrate ordered the inquiry report be published by the government to put the outrage to rest.

“We published the proces-verbal because we agree with the magistrate that this case was unusual. It was unusual and unfortunate,” Abela said.

Quoting from the magisterial report, Abela insisted that Stephen Mangion suffered a natural death. He defended the emergency service workers and said that the rumours that spread in the days after his death only served to break the morale of front-liners in the emergency department.

Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela addresses journalists during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

Abela complained that workers in the emergency department have been subjected to insults and degrading behaviour while on duty because of this case.

He also lambasted comments made on social media by politicians who he said were trying to gain a political advantage through Stephen Mangion’s death. Abela said those who made such comments on social media should be held responsible for any harm caused to emergency workers.

“Do you know how many complaints I received these past days? Many emergency workers told me that this hype, created by certain irresponsible people, resulted in our own workers in the ER being insulted in their place of work. This is irresponsible.”

Abela said these workers are doing their best to provide a service to the public. “I understand that the Opposition would call for my resignation, but there’s a difference between calling for a minister’s resignation and attacking workers, the system, a service that is drowning in work.”

Abela also criticised the Medical Association of Malta (MAM), who he said makes it impossible to implement needed reforms in the sector.  “The process is slow. Why? Because of resistance from MAM. It is time to say things as they are.”

“There’s a time at which discussion needs to stop and the minister has to take action. If there are proposals to break the mould, the way we work, but then an association blocks every reform put forward, then we’re at a point – I don’t want to say, of no return – but a bad point indeed.”

“When I need to be alerted to something, is it necessary to pass on the message through a judicial protest? Is that dialogue? Or on other issues, through a legal letter to the state advocate?”