Free healthcare service ‘national gold’, says Bishop

Cross-party consensus on biggest health challenge: striking balance between healthcare requirements and citizen expectations.

Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia and shadow minister Claudio Grech agreed that the biggest challenge in healthcare remains striking a balance between healthcare requirements and citizen expectations.

With an ever-ageing population and increase in life expectancy, the burden on free healthcare services will continue to increase as the right to a timely and quality service has to be maintained.

A right, which was echoed by Gozo Bishop Mgr Mario Grech in his intervention during a seminar on sustainable healthcare organsied by the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.

Grech, whose intervention was more of a moral nature, said the provision of free healthcare service should be considered as "national gold", a service which should not been seen as the sole responsibility of the government but of the community as a whole.

"It is a grave immoral shortcoming when we allow free medicines to go to waste; when we take more than we require, denying this service to those who need them," he said.

Grech said the premise for a patient to enjoy a free medical service was government's responsibility. This however didn't mean that the community should act irresponsibly: "The community should be grateful for the service but should also show solidarity.It is also for the community to adopt measures which would make healthcare accessible to all."

The Bishop expressed concern over the "health poor", patients who requested cheaper medicines or couldn't afford to buy the required medicine.

He noted that while the private sector repeatedly turned to the state for support, it failed to come up with its own proposal which did not require state aid. He expressed frustration at how businessmen kept turning towards the institutions, expecting something in return.

Grech noted that despite healthcare being a "human service", it was also a reality that those who stepped into the medical world found a goldmine.

"As a spiritual leader, it is not my competence to offer technical solutions. But I have the responsibility to be the voice of the poor and to appeal to the authorities not to introduce measures in the healthcare reform which could hinder those who are already suffering."

The Bishop said he was not passing judgement on politicians when he noted that, undoubtedly, the poor will continue to increase. "We live in a world of inequalities, where today's poor are poorer than yesterday's and where the rich are richer."

 

avatar
PN take note and excuse yourself from voting against the free health for all years back. The ex-private, church run hospitals should also excuse themselves when they closed their hospitals when they were asked to dish out free health care. It is amazing how much Mintoff was in line with Catholic teaching on such and other matters.
avatar
The Health Service should be cared for by reducing cost; Patients, nurses and doctors take heed.
avatar
I agree with elwenzu. There is no such thing as Free. The Tax Payer (those who pay Taxes or Vat) are paying for those FREE Medicines and Free Health Care. One look at the Maltese Government expenditures will tell you that the countries biggest expense after the generous pay of our MEPs is Health Care. Today or tomorrow these debts have to be payed whether by our children or grandchildren and that is why Joseph Muscat is trying to sell our Passports for thirty pieces of silver but even that money will someday run out. It happens when you spend more than what you bring in. A good example is the USA who now owe their souls to the devil which is China.
avatar
And, dear Bishop, it's being undermined by all the foreigners and illegal immigrants which get everything for free at our expense.
avatar
Obviously this Bishop has no sense at all of how the system operates. There is NO SUCH THING as a free health service. Does this ill informed character not understand that the "free service" is paid out of our taxes etc., whether we use it or not!