Doctors warn of shortage of medical trainees at health centres

The Medical Association of Malta has called on the government to issue calls for trainee doctors, after the civil court ruled that eligibility criteria for medical posts in the government service must be according to the collective agreement between MAM and the government, and that selection boards must follow the principle of merit before seniority.

In a press statement issued earlier this morning, MAM said that the court of appeal had confirmed previous decisions by the civil court, leading to a ruling of the public service commission with regards to a call for general practitioner trainees.

MAM said that the litigation error had left public health centres with a shortage of some 24 new medical trainees over the past two years.

“We urge the health ministry to issue the posts as soon as possible and rectify the urgent need for doctors in primary health care, which is seriously affecting the service,” the statement reads.

MAM added that the court had confirmed that a call requesting two separate lists according to seniority went against that principle listed in the collective agreement.

Pointing out that the agreement is legally binding, MAM said that the court confirmed that the health division at the time could not have issued such a call.

The court also confirmed that MAM was right to protest with the public service commission, as the collective agreement had not been respected.