Alcohol abuse: 298 people admitted to Mater Dei in first eight months of 2016

223 men and 75 women were admitted to Mater Dei Hospital suffering from intoxication and abuse of alcohol between January and September this year, according to health minister Chris Fearne.

Fearne, who was replying to a parliamentary question put to him by MP Luciano Busuttil, said that the 298 people were admitted under three distinct categories: Category A patients show symptoms of dependancy on alcohol, alcohol abuse or withdrawal symptoms; Category B patients suffer intoxication, but do not suffer from alcohol dependancy; Category C patients suffer from liver damageattributed to alcohol.

In the first eight months of 2016, 53 Category A patients – 40 men and 13 women – were admitted to hospital.

Fearne said that, of these, three men were between 25 and 34 years of age, 11 men and four women were between 35 and 44 years of age, 10 men and two women between 45 and 54 years of age, six men and five women between 55 and 64 years of age, and 10 men and two women were between 65 and 74 years of age.

Another 214 patients – 155 mena and 59 women – were admitted to hospital under Category B.

These included three males and five females under 15 years of age, 27 males and 22 females between 15 and 24 years of age, 31 men and five women between 25 and 34 years of age, 31 men and six women between 35 and 44 years of age, 24 men and 11 women between 45 and 54 years of age, 24 men and seven women between 55 and 64 years of age, nine men and two women between 65 and 74 years of age, four men and a woman between 75 and 84 years of age, and 2 men over 85 years of age.

Fearne said that 28 men and 3 women were admitted under Category C, including a man between 25 and 34 years of age, five men between 35 and 44 years of age, three men between 45 and 54 years of age, nine men and three women between 55 and 64 years of age, nine men between 65 and 74 years of age, and a man over 85 years of age.