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Government and MUMN sign agreement to keep discussing
The government and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses have signed a letter pledging to keep discussing divergences on health care manpower plans and other issues.
Speaking during a press event announcing the singing, Health Minister Joseph Cassar said that agreement was reached after eight talks held across a number of months.
Despite not incorporating any concrete measures of what reforms or revisions of the current government manpower plan currently in action, the agreement was descried by MUMN president Paul Pace as a “milestone agreement.”
Speaking about the manpower plan dispute, Cassar said the issue did not deal with “numbers, but with roles.” He added that changes in roles are therefore being contemplated following proper role-auditing, “but not to the benefit of one department and the detriment of another.”
Asked about a time frame for the conclusion of the talks, Cassar was dismissive. “Where patients are involved, there are no time frames,” he said, adding that time is required for the talks to take place, conclusions to be reached, and reforms to be implemented.
Cassar said the agreement also heralds certain reforms such as extensive auditing and more effective protocols for medial personnel. One such reform is a shift in protocol dealing with patients brought into Mater Dei emergency on a stretcher.
The change in protocol will mean that medical practitioners will be on standby specifically for such patients.
A health spokesperson also added that the government has issued a contract to a recruitment agency which will seek nurses alongside an open call for nurses valid for two years, which has, so far, attracted over 200 nurses from outside the EU in the past six months.
He added that the applications submitted by these nurses are currently being scrutinised so that other checks like ETC and immigration issues can be sorted. He added that most of these 200 applicants have had qualifications recognised and visa assessment stage has been reached.
Cassar affirmed that the ‘hurdles’ and ‘obstacles’ in place are not there to slow the process down, but to ensure that any nurses accepted meet the necessary level of diligence and scrunity.
