Doctors temporarily suspend directives until Friday

Doctors are set to return to all public health centers on Tuesday after the Medical Association of Malta (MAM) decided to postpone directives until Friday. 

The decision follows a meeting between MAM and Health Ministry officials on Monday.

The MAM stated that following the meeting with the health minister and the permanent secretary within the ministry, the union is waiting a draft text from government, “and needs to iron out some details and will only be able to cancel the directives at that point.”

“MAM looks forward to the next meeting so that an agreement satisfactory to both sides can be reached,” union president Martin Balzan concluded.

The ongoing dispute between MAM and the government centers on two key issues: a controversial plan to outsource emergency services from three public hospitals and staffing concerns within primary healthcare facilities across Malta.

Tensions escalated after the government initiated a €14 million project to refer some patients from Mater Dei Hospital's emergency department to private facilities. 

The partnership, secured through a public procurement process, was designed to reduce patient waiting times and allow Mater Dei’s emergency team to focus on critical cases.

MAM objected, claiming insufficient consultation and a lack of clarity about the plan’s operation. In response, the union instructed emergency room doctors not to refer patients to private hospitals.

The MAM then extended its directives to health centers, restricting full-time doctor coverage to Paola, Mosta, and Floriana. This disrupted services in other centers, including those in Gżira, Cospicua, Kirkop, Birkirkara, and Qormi.