The Medical Association of Malta reply to comments made by Health Minister

Doctors did their best – despite a failure of systems due to lack of infrastructure. Do not make the medical profession the scapegoat for government’s failures

The Medical Association on Malta would like to reply to comments made by Minister Joe Etienne Abela.

Doctors did their best – despite a failure of systems due to lack of infrastructure. Do not make the medical profession the scapegoat for government’s failures

1. MAM is very satisfied that the enquiring magistrate found that doctors and indeed all other health care professionals performed their duties in an ethical and professional way. The last thing MAM expected, was for the medical profession to be unfairly treated by the minister himself simply to cover up for major the shortcomings of his predecessor and the squandering pubic funds.
2. It is true however that patients have to wait for unacceptable periods of time for all government services as 400 hundred million euros of investment have gone down the drain, despite the fact that virtually zero investment has taken place in infrastructure in the last 11 years. While this is not directly the minister’s fault, this is a system failure because of insufficient infrastructure. The Minister had to be honest and admit this publicly and apologise to patients for this situation not blame those who do their best in for patients in such unfortunate circumstances
3. MAM is disappointed when a Ministry does not follow its legal obligations with the association to discuss outsourcing. It is most unfair for the Maltese tax payer to pay 10,000 euros for an IVF procedure, when most centres in the European union charge under 2000 euros per procedure – a 400% increase. The Ministry should come clean and refer this situation to the auditor general rather than blame MAM for demanding honesty and integrity. It comes as no surprise that this did not happen.
4. MAM has refrained from publicly alarming the public of the sad decision taken by the health ministry, that a ward specifically designed for critical patients needing ventilation was closed and patients placed in hospital wards which are not equipped for such patients, against the opinion of all the medical consultants and international guidelines on patient safety. As these critically ill patients are in danger of death there was a need for all respiratory physicians to write to state advocate that they opposed such a decision, should a death result in a magisterial enquiry. Doctors stand for the patient however such as a decision has not been reversed to date.

In conclusion MAM is always ready to engage in positive constructive dialogue and is always bringing members’ and patients’ concerns to the health ministry, however it is not ready to be a scapegoat for the government’s failure to sufficiently invest in health infrastructure.