Health Minister opens Burns Unit at Mater Dei

Despite having had a whole area dedicated to the Burns Unit since 2007, the facility was only opened today by Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia.

According to the minister, only a theatre used to be utilised from the area while patients suffering from burns used to be treated within the Intensive Therapy Unit or within another unit related to plastic surgery.

The opening of the facility means that the area will now be utilised: "We are doing our best to increase the number of beds at the hospital. At the same time we have to address the issue of bed occupancy by social cases."

The ministry plans to increase 32 new beds in acute halls this year and up to 65 new beds by 2015. "This will be possible thanks to EU funds which will be used to build new halls," Farrugia said.

The Burns Unit has provided an additional five beds, which will now free beds from the orthopedic and surgery units. Burns Unit is an extension of the Plastics Units and is equipped with specialised equipment, single rooms and a laminar airflow system.

The Unit will be led by a medical team headed by consultants Francis Darmanin and Joe Briffa. The team includes four doctors, a specialist and 13 nurses, having strengthened the nurses compliment by an additional five nurses.

Farrugia said the health department was seeking to strengthen the team with the addition of a nurse specialised in reconstructable breast surgery nurse, a specialisation that is currently lacking.

The unit's theatre has so far been used to carry out operations requiring only local anesthesia. A possibility to open up the theatre requiring general anesthesia is being looked at.

The health ministry said it has inherited a waiting list of over 4,000 cases.