Nurses ‘satisfied’ with government’s handling of weak hospital pillars

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said that they are satisfied with the Government’s response to the news that some pillars in the Accident and Emergency Department at Mater Dei hospital are too 'weak'. 

“Health Minister Konrad Mizzi informed us that reinforcements to certain hospital pillars will have to be done immediately,” the MUMN said. “Further tests will be done to test the concrete used in the foundation of the Accident and Emergency department.

“We also spoke about alternative sites for the new wards,” the MUMN added.  

A set of tests carried out on Mater Dei’s Accident and Emergency department confirmed that the concrete used on certain pillars was of inferior quality. This means that they are not strong enough to withstand the weight of two planned medical wards.

The government announced in a statement that temporary works will be carried out this week to mitigate any risks that could arise from the weak pillars. The works will include setting up temporary structures to solidify the pillars.  

On Tuesday, the Nationalist Party called for an urgent Parliamentary debate over the hospital’s structural flaws.

“If there are problems with the hospital’s structure, then it should not be considered a matter of political opinion,” MPs Claudio Grech and Michael Gonzi said. “It is a technical fact based on whether the building’s quality conforms with its original intentions”.