MUMN asks for Prime Minister’s intervention on oncology hospital

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) has asked the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to intervene directly and avoid having the oncology centre, Boffa Hospital, "engulfed" in the "everlasting" problems at Mater Dei Hospital.

Later this year, the new oncology centre being built adjacent to Mater Dei Hospital will receive its first patients and replace the current oncology hospital in Floriana.

In a strongly worded statement issued today, MUMN president Paul Pace said that every meeting which the union had with the health minister Godfrey Farrugia was "more of a confrontation meeting than actually a consultation meeting."

"The health minister is not a minister who listens but is a minister of confrontation. A minister who takes advice only from a small number of people (all medical consultants) close to him, the same persons who earlier this year came up with the idea of the construction of the tent at Mater Dei Hospital. Lessons are not being learnt at all," MUMN said.

MUMN said it was in the process of organising a petition to be signed by all employees in Boffa hospital, "showing that the current minister is moving in the wrong direction."

While stressing that "sweet talk" and the "fake assurance of autonomy" will not hold water with the oncology hospital employees, MUMN said it would present the petition to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Pace said the union is asking Muscat to intervene as he did when tents were set up outside the day care unit at Mater Dei. Muscat had ordered the removal of the tent and marquee set up in the car park outside the day care unit to be used as a reception.

Inviting Muscat to a meeting with Boffa Hospital staff members, MUMN said it had "full trust in the Prime Minister and that he will understand the issue involved."

MUMN reiterated that it was opposed to having the oncology centre form part of Mater Dei's Strategic Business Unit and expressed its disappointment at the removal of Boffa Hospital CEO Dr. Chircop Micallef.

Pace claimed that Chircop Micallef "paid the ultimate prize for having the courage to speak against the Strategic Business Unit which has been already decided by the Minister."

"She is the hero for speaking on behalf the employees' voice and the Minister replaced her with one of his lapdogs and transferred her to a screening programme against her wishes. It shows clearly that the Health Minister did not learn any lesson after 11 months in Office."

MUMN also asked the prime minister to listen to the hospital staff on why they do not want to be included in the Strategic Business Unit "which not only undermines the autonomy of Boffa Hospital (which autonomy they are very proud of) but whose chairpersons being proposed in the Strategic Business Unit will result to more power to the clinical consultants by awarding  them administrative duties on all categories of employees."

"A Prime Minster who listens should take such an invite from the employees who are passionate in the work in caring for cancer patients and are requesting to be heard. MUMN is sure that the Prime Minister will not let such employees down."

The union stressed that meetings with Farrugia were "more of a lip service since any issue in hand, which the Minister finally decides is to be discussed with MUMN, has already been finalised and actually being put in place."

MUMN pointed out that all nurses working in Boffa Hospital asked for assurances that the oncology hospital maintains its autonomy.

"This is important since the new oncology hospital will not be burdened with the bed shortages and staff shortages which plagued Mater Dei hospital. Also the new oncology centre is not to be dependant or controlled by any CEO or Board of Directors from Mater Dei Hospital from a human resources, financial or clinical perspective," Pace said.

He added that to date, the oncology hospital in Floriana is running smoothly thanks to the cooperation of all employees. "MUMN cannot understand the decision to engulf Boffa Hospital to Mater Dei Hospital with all the everlasting problems it contains."

The health minister was accused of being evasive on this issue by MUMN, which added that Farrugia had failed to reply to several emails sent by the union on the matter.

"This evasiveness and playing with nice words that autonomy would still exist was completely shattered when MUMN got to know that Boffa hospital, and eventually the new oncology centre, would be part of the Strategic Business Unit being soon launched in Mater Dei Hospital," Pace noted.

The Strategic Business Unit of MDH, which was never discussed with MUMN, will comprise in its structures Boffa hospital and the new oncology centre, Pace added.

"No wonder the emails of MUMN on such issue were never replied. This also implies that when the Minister will eventually decide to discuss the matter with MUMN, it would be fait accompli. MUMN will never accept any Strategic Business Unit which allows clinical consultants who will take the position of chairpersons to have administrative powers on nurses and midwives."