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€700,000 funds for X-ray screening of asylum seekers
EU-funded project provides X-ray screening for active tuberculosis at migrant reception centre.
27 June 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
1 min read
The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate, within the Superintendence of Public Health, has been granted funds amounting of over €700,000 from the European Refugee Fund (ERF) Emergency Measures to set up a digital X-ray unit at Lyster Barracks Detention Centre whereby migrants are screened upon arrival for active tuberculosis, and three isolation units for the isolation of migrants suffering from an infectious disease who do not require admission to Mater Dei Hospital until the infectious period is over.
The project 'Emergency Measures: Screening of Refugees and Displaced Persons on Their Arrival in Malta', was awarded in January 2013 and conducted effectively within the stipulated time period of six months by this government.
People coming from countries where certain diseases such as TB are endemic are screened to promptly identify any cases which are infectious, and where needed are isolated until they are not infectious any more and treated accordingly.
The initiative starts as from Monday 1 July 2013 at Lyster Barracks Detention Centre.
The Superintendence for Public Health, through two directorates namely the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate and the Environmental Health Directorate, takes the necessary precautions and screening measures to ensure that all measures aimed at improving public health and the prevention and control of communicable and non communicable diseases are undertaken.
The Minister for Health congratulated the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate in its constant endeavour to implement measures aimed at improving public health. This project was possible as a result of the EU funding (80% EU Funding and 20% MT funding) awarded under the European Refugee Fund. He also thanked the Funds and Programmes Division under the Ministry for the Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto and EU Funds for their assistance to the Ministry during the very tight implementation period of this Project.
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@gervais.cishahayo, first of all please stick to Maltese or English language if and when you are addressing me. Secondly these are illegal immigrants arriving on our shores uninvited. Secondly the government is obligated to ensure the health safety of it's people and has nothing to do with discrimination. These people come from Africa, the most HIV infected country in the world. So what is wrong in testing these people arriving from the continent of Africa for the HIV Virus?
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@L Sammut
So many world celebrities died of contagious illnesses and Europe has been there less than decades ago when each nationality blamed each other for this or that contagious disease or even disability!
Public health protection is the duty of any responsible government. However illness or disability is no acceptable ground for discrimination.
"Tout homme bien portant est un malade qui s'ignore." - Jules Romain
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If they really wanted to protect Maletse citizens they would send back all illegal immigrants since hardened TB resistant to mots drugs and require a cocktail of druigs to keep under control is rampant in the illegal immigrants countries. They would also ask for a clean health certificate of all those who come to Malta. http://www.cnimalta.org/il.html
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Does the EU give us anything else for all the free healthcare illegal imigrants get at Mater Dei?
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That is very considerate of the ERF, better late than never? Question: Is the Health Department also checking each and every illegal immigrant for HIV carriers? Maybe the Health department can tell us how many illegal immigrants were found suffering from the HIV Virus which can be passed on through sex activities? Africa has the largest HIV carriers and these Illegal Immigrants come from Africa. How safe is the Maltese population from these illegal immigrants? Mingle and integrate they tell us.
