Updated | Govt must kill uncertainty over position on ‘confrontational’ Dalli report

Nationalist MP Claudio Grech has called for government to give weight to a report carried out by Johns Hopkins, rather than steaming ahead on observations by John Dalli on Mater Dei Hospital's administration which has angered unions.

"It's technically valid, drafted by competent persons from the best American hospital, the best medical school... I prefer that we move into that direction, because Dalli's report is a subset of the Johns Hopkins report, and more than anything it is creating confrontation."

The Johns Hopkins report was submitted in 2012, nine months before the election. "Government must kill the uncertainty surrounding this report by taking a position," Grech said.

Grech said the Opposition will still be seeking consensus on national healthcare, after a government-commissioned report into the administration of Mater Dei Hospital riled doctors' and nurses' unions.

"We're concerned over this recent development because in the last years, there has never been such a rapid escalation of uncalled-for confrontation," Grech, who shadows health, said of the John Dalli report.

"It comes at an unfortunate time because the PN is promoting policy of consensus that goes beyond the traditional party lines... we expected the government to take a position on the report, and we said we would take a position after government would declare its position. But the report was presented to government a month ago and health minister Godfrey Farrugia said the government would not take a position any time soon," Grech said.

"We expect the government to take a stand," Grech added, saying the PN's detailed position would be issued later on in the day.

But the MP pointed out there was an issue of governance at stake, with the Dalli report taking a clear position on the administration of the hospital, while the government not risking taking a stand on its findings of work practices and hospital medical and pharmaceutical procurement.

Grech criticised the report for dwelling on the MDH's negative aspects when Malta still retained the fifth best healthcare system worldwide and one of the top ranks in healthy life-years. "It's not being administered efficiently but it's giving a positive outcome. Justice has not been done with MDH - I have a monthly report of hospital activity and every operation at MDH, so we cannot just fail to ignore this. At 45,000 operations it's 30% over 2008. There are six million blood tests a year. You cannot criticise everyone without saying the work they do."

Grech also criticised Dali's choice of language, using words such as 'anarchy' and 'disarray' to describe hospital activity. "Mater Dei should not have been considered in isolation, but in the context of primary healthcare and rehabilitation services."

Grech said that the health sector had seen cuts in investment for primary health reform, and that the Dalli report offered no recommendations to solve the bed capacity problem, or waiting lists that stretched overtime into the twilight hours.

He also sad that while the former administration had been concerned at the rate of self-referrals at the hospital's emergency department, the Dalli report proposed that referrals only take place on the order of GPs or health centres. "Half of current patients are self-referred - I hope government discards this option because it would reduce health services to patients."

Grech said the government should publish the list of all consultants and the amount of hours worked and operations made. "Taxpayers demand accountability," the MP said.

The MP also said he agreed that all hospitals should have specialized management and autonomy, but not by hand-picked individuals. "We agree with investment in accounts, payments, and stock control. We agree that the private sector develops the health sector, but not that the government competes: I objected when the previous administration had purchased a PET scanner when it already existed in the private sector. I couldn't understand the logic given that the amount of PET scans were relatively low and the scanner is highly expensive."