Health Ministry denies MAM claims, lists 18 reforms obstructed by doctors' union

The Health Ministry has catagorically denied claims made by the Medical Association of Malta (MAM) following the conclusion of the inquiry into Stephen Mangion’s death.

Earlier on Wednesday, the MAM warned government not to use the medical profession as a scapegoat for its own failures after the health minister criticised the union for stonewalling sectoral reforms.

The MAM had noted that patients now have to wait for unacceptable periods of time after €400 million worth of investment went down the drain, a reference to the Vitals hospitals scandal.

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The Health Ministry stated that during Tuesday’s press conference, health minister Jo Etienne Abela had emphasised his unwavering support for healthcare professionals and condemned misinformation targeting the Health Services.

“Indeed, the Ministry notes that representatives of the MAM are being very economical with the truth and are persisting in the confrontational and negative attitude that they have adopted over the past 6 months.”

The Ministry further accused the MAM of a presistent “obstructive stance,” as it listed 18 instances where the association obstructed or slowed down reforms. The following reforms were noted as being opposed by the MAM:

1. Assessment by first senior medical contact in the emergency departments;

2. Consultant assignation to emergency patients;

3. The replenishment of Emergency Doctors at the Gozo General Hospital Casualty;

4. The outsourcing to the private sector of emergency services for non-life threatening conditions to allow the Emergency Department to concentrate on life-threatening conditions;

5. The transformation of Mater Dei level -1 floor into a “hot-floor” that will obviate corridor wards that Government deems not patient-worthy;

6. The establishment of a medical high dependency unit in the newly appointed M10;

7. The setting up of an ambulatory care hospital in St Luke’s, to relocate day care facilities, dental surgery, ophthalmology, dermatology, out of Mater Dei;

8. The setting up of an out-patients clinic facility in Karin Grech Hospital;

9. Investment in a large state-of -the-art Mother and Child Unit in the current out-patient block at Mater Dei Hospital – this would free space in Mater-Dei to allow an increase of bed-space for acute older-person admissions;

10. The integration of mental health into physical health;

11.The inclusion of patient advocacy representatives (Malta Health Network) on medical regulatory/disciplinary bodies;

12. The development of acute psychiatric services in Mater Dei Hospital to hone services and abolish the stigma that patients and health care professionals still suffer to this day;

13. Relocation of non-invasive ventilation services to a new suggested site;

14. Re-emergence of plastic surgery as a sub-speciality with its own dedicated ward;

15. The immediate provision of a 6-month out-sourced IVF services to allow enlargement and refurbishment of the Mater Dei ART clinic (outsourcing was awarded at a cost that is significantly lower than recent equivalent expenses at Mater Dei Hospital);

16. The inclusion of patient advocacy representatives (e.g. Malta Health Network) into medical regulatory/disciplinary bodies;

17. Investment in extra twilight CT and MR scan sessions to provide a 24/7, 7-days a week radiology service at Mater Dei and Gozo General Hospitals, paid on a per-case basis, in order to address and abolish current waiting-lists;

18. Resistance to unit sub-specialising e.g. gastroenterology department to, amongst other things, address out-patient waiting lists of close to 6000 patients.

“This notwithstanding, the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing remains open to constructive discussion as is the case with the other trade unions.”