Nurses to remain at Boffa Hospital unless new oncology hospital provides parking

Parking problems at Mater Dei Hospital were not restricted to patients and families visiting the hospital but also for the nurses working there. According to MUMN president Paul Pace, nurses were not provided with parking spaces.

To make matters worse, the new oncology hospital to be opened had no dedicated parking space neither for the nurses nor for the patients.

"Malta is indeed a Mickey Mouse country [sic]. Because while MEPA imposes heavy fines when parking spaces are not provided with terraced houses, it allowed the development of an acute hospital without parking facilities," Pace said.

He said that matters had been further complicated because the current administration had now proposed a mental health hospital next and a blood transfusion department next to MDH.

"The previous administration's mistake has now been made worse," Pace said.

According to recent correspondence between MUMN, FMS and the Ministry for Health, proposals being made were not acceptable to the nurses and MUMN.

A proposal was made to use the filed across the Birkirkara bypass: "Can anyone imagine the nurses crossing the B'kara bypass with the heavy traffic during rush hour?"

A second suggestion included one of the fields around Mater Dei Hospital, which according to Pace was "ridiculous because nurses would have to jump over the rubble wall".

Much to the MUMN's indignation, the nurses were advised to start using public transport to lessen the congestion of traffic around Mater Dei and to contribute the better air quality around Mater Dei Hospital.

"MUMN has just organised a meeting with all nurses working at Boffa hospital. It was clear that such replies from the government were unacceptable, especially with the oncology hospital opening in eight months."

Pace said that while nurses and other health care workers were giving a sterling service to patients, they were being taken for a ride.

"MUMN would like to inform the public, that if NO satisfactory parking spaces are provided to the nurses and the patients, which have to be adjacent to the new oncology hospital, the nurses will have no other choice but to remain rendering their services in Boffa Hospital in Floriana," MUMN warned.

Pace said the directive was being issued no to avoid any surprises.

"MUMN has been ignored by the Nationalist government and is now being ignored by the Labour government," Pace said.

He insisted that bad decisions taken by politicians will not be accepted by the nurses, "who should be treated by any minister with respect and dignity".