News 15/09/2002

Medical Council hides behind ancient legal notice

By Kurt Sansone

Flying in the face of mounting controversy over exorbitant fees charged by medical practitioners and private hospitals to unsuspecting tourists, the Medical Council this week informed MaltaToday that it has not received an official complaint and therefore cannot investigate the matter.

And the Medical Council’s inaction is justified by an ancient legal notice dating back 43 years, which states that the Council can investigate complaints on the behaviour of medical practitioners after receiving the complaint or information "in writing".

Over the past few months MaltaToday has published a series of reports revealing how British emergency medical insurance companies are deeply concerned over the exorbitant fees charged by a few doctors and private hospitals.

Continues on page 2In the course of investigations undertaken by this newspaper the name of Labour MP Prof. Louis Buhagiar featured prominently. Prof. Buhagiar’s medical fees were described as "excessive" by the Small Claims Tribunal, in January this year on a case involving a Maltese patient.

However, the former parliamentary secretary is not alone in this melee.

MaltaToday can also reveal that Dr Adrian Vella, a doctor who operates in the Bugibba-Qawra area and St Philip’s Hospital, are also under the spotlight of British insurance companies and have been so for a number of months.

The story published in yesterday’s Times concerning the plight of an elderly British woman, who was transferred from St Philip’s to St Luke’s further emphasised the sorry state of affairs.

MaltaToday has a copy of a document issued by the British company, International Medical Rescue, which advises its claimants that it cannot guarantee treatment costs at St Philip’s Hospital. The hospital was also given a copy of this document in April this year.

The document states: "Please be advised that with immediate effect that on behalf of any UK insurers for whom we act, we are unable to issue any new guarantees for your treatment costs at St Philip’s Hospital."

The document gives the "costs charged by St Philip’s Hospital and doctors for medical treatment" as a main reason for the retraction of the guarantee. The document describes the costs as "excessively high." Furthermore, the company explains that it is gathering evidence on a number of previous cases in respect to costs charged and other financial practices undertaken by St Philip’s Hospital.

In face of all this controversy the Medical Council finds it comfortable to hide behind a 1959 legal notice that effectively prevents the medical profession’s highest body from taking a pro-active role.