Nurses on Budget… ‘Meeting Godfrey Farrugia is useless’

Nurses’ union MUMN says health minister took on none of the union’s proposals for Budget 2014

MUMN secretary-general Paul Pace
MUMN secretary-general Paul Pace

Nurses' union MUMN welcomed Budget 2014 as a "positive" budget that will enhance growth and the deficit, but said it left much to be desired on the nation's healthcare needs.

Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses secretary-general Paul Pace said that during his two-hour speech, finance minister Edward Scicluna had failed to address the shortage of beds at Mater Dei Hospital, St Vincent de Paule residence, Gozo General Hospital and in Mount Carmel Hospital.

"No increase in beds for the elderly is being planned when the country needs at least an annual increase of 200 beds due to the ageing population," Pace said.

"The minister even arrived at the absurdity of boasting of 40 [new] beds at Mater Dei without the decency to tell the nation that such beds were placed in the corridors of Mater Dei Hospital. He made no reference to any capital projects needed at Gozo General Hospital due to a substantial number of patients being nursed in wards unsuitable for their needs. This is a chronic situation," Pace said.

The MUMN said Mount Carmel Hospital required a capital investment for the construction of a  psychiatric intensive care unit, a multipurpose unit for female patients and a drug dependency unit.

It also said it was disappointed at comments by Scicluna that primary healthcare had been extended through local councils, when it was the homes of the elderly and the very sick that needed it the most. "The concept is wider than the mere delegation to local councils' municipalities," Pace said.

He also said the MUMN expected a more aggressive approach to the out-of-stock medicines problem.

"The health minister can boast of having ignored all MUMN's proposals for 2014, being the only with minister MUMN has no qualms in declaring that meeting such a minister is utterly useless."

"What was criticized under the Nationalist government, such as placing beds in corridor, has now become acceptable. The Budget confirms that the health ministry has no insight into the problems of the patients and has no control of the situation. MUMN will keep insisting and demanding on its proposals and will be the voice of the people in their plight when they require the health service."

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It seems that Mr Pace was expecting some promotion or appointment and this did not happen. Stop being so negative
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Pawl ahjar tmur tara kemm hemm haddiema zejda ic-centru tas-sahha ta B'kara. Il-ministru imissu jaghmel time and motion study halli jara il-hela.
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Pawl ahjar tmur tara kemm hemm haddiema zejda ic-centru tas-sahha ta B'kara. Il-ministru imissu jaghmel time and motion study halli jara il-hela.
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Pawlu Pace jew qieghed jilghab ghall-gallerija, jew sar agent tal-PN, jew irid jintghogob ma' shabu jew inkella jrid idahhak u jilghabha tal-bully. Insomma xi tip ta' agenda mohbija ghandu u din l-attitudni hi perikoluza mhux ghall-gvern imma ghall-membri li qieghed jirraprezenta u ghal pajjiz. L-affarijiet isiru bid-diplomazzija u billi noqghodu mal-mejda. Tiftakruha l-famuza frazi nduru mal-mejda li trejdjunjonista iehor tant kien famuz ghaliha? Mhux sew li dak hazing li kien ilu jinhemma snin twal issa Pawlu jipretendi li jitranga f'hakka t'ghajn. Qatt qabel ma smajtu jitkellem b'dan it-ton zbaljat.
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Donnu Pawlu Pace irrabjat ghax qed jippretendi li l-gvern jghamel kif jghid hu,inkella jsabbat saqajh u jghajjat mummy. Sur Pace inti taf tajjeb il hnizrijiet li l-gvern gdid sab gewwa settur tas sahha,allura kif issa wara erba xhur u b'budget tiga impost tuippretendi li jsir kollox kif tghid int. Din bhal tal parking. Mela l-ewwel zewg sulari riservati ghal li staff u fil ghaxija dejjem vojta u l-vizzitaturi irridu jinzla sa l-qieh.
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Ma nafx lis-Sur Pace tistax tiehdu bis-serjeta! Dejjem jghid bin-nuqqas ta' staff, specjalment ta' nurses, imbaghad tmur fl-Out Patients u tara b'ghajnejk il-hela ta' risorsi li hemm, jekk ma jinfetahx xi bieb ukoll u tara lil min jilghab fuq il-kompjuter. Kif qatt ma sar audit bis-serjeta? L-impjegati fl-isptarijiet privati jimxu ahjar b'anqas nies, u Paul Pace jirrapprezenthom ukoll. Viva l-serjeta' u l-gustizzja!
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Jekk smajt sew lil Ministru tal Finanzi qal li se jivvota ghal hafna aktar flus min qabel rigward is-sahha. Semma wkoll li se jtella zewg sulari ohra biex izied is-sodod. Paul jew ma semax sew jew dawra durella shiha. Anki lis sulari ta SanVincenz ir=Raba u l-hames li hallewom abbandunati ghal l-ahhar il Pn fejn tefaw skoss laburisti go fihom, b'lift ta xi sittin sena ilu, xejn ma hemm sew, jien ghandi ommi hemm se jirrangaw ghax tal misthijja , dak imissu jara Paul Pace li se jghamlu li jistaw, il quddiem ikun jaf ghax bl-investigazzjonijiet li qeghdin isiru fejn anki wasslu ghal konkluzzjoni shock kbir se jiehdu kulhadd bli sabu. Paul int suppost tkun taf li diga bdew jiccaqalqu l-affarijiet.
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Aktar ma jitkellem is-sur Pace, aktar jikkonvincini li huwa bniedem li jhobb jidhol fejn ma jesghux. Xoghol is-sur Pace hu li jiddefendi l-kondizzjonijiet tal-haddiema li jirrapprezenta. Is-sur Pace jekk hu verament nurse li jaf l-affarijiet kif saru f'Mater Deir, imissu jaf li t-tort ta kollox kien tal-Gvern tal-PN li nefaq spica enormi fl-isptar li ma jaqdix il-htigijiet ta Pajjizna. Li jridu n-nurses huwa li jtejbu l-kondizzjonijiet tax-xoghol taghhom. Xejn izjed u xejn anqas.
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if open uselss spaces are converted into wards to increase the bed capacity what is wrong? its not the minister that is useless Mr pace but it is you! never heared you speak against the awfull health system when pn was in power! it is actually a good idea to involve the different localities to take care of the elderly as they cannot relay on mater dei! and what about all the wards and expensive equipement that have never been used and left to rotten mr pace under the pn in government?? you are truely blind folded and a die hard pn activist that does not use his brain!
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@joexerri Nahseb il-kumment tieghek tal-ahhar kien superflu u juri il-mohh dghajjef ta` nies bhlalek. Mela ghax bniedem jghid l-oppoinjoni tieghu tghajru `bhal ma kien jaghmel il-gvern tieghek`. Statement vojt ghall-ahhar. Fuq kollox Pace dejjem ikkritika dak li kien u ghadu hazin inkluz fi zmien in-nazzjonalisti. Veru bqajna poplu tat-tielet dinja b`nies bhalek lol.
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@paul pace Ghalfejn tahseb li il gvern ivvota iktar flus ghas sahha? Ghalfejn tahseb li il gvern qabbad lill john dalli biex jikkummissjona rapport fuq mater dei? L ewwel irid johrog ir rapport biex naraw x hemm hazin imbghad niddiskutuh mhux nibdew nghaffgu u nisparaw bl addocc bhall ma kien jghamel il gvern tieghek!!!
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@paul pace Ghalfejn tahseb li il gvern ivvota iktar flus ghas sahha? Ghalfejn tahseb li il gvern qabbad lill john dalli biex jikkummissjona rapport fuq mater dei? L ewwel irid johrog ir rapport biex naraw x hemm hazin imbghad niddiskutuh mhux nibdew nghaffgu u nisparaw bl addocc bhall ma kien jghamel il gvern tieghek!!!
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Very unfair comments by Mr. Paul Pace. Useless corridors in Mater Dei are being CONVERTED into wards, as this is a priority. Primary Health Care is in shambles and needs a boost. FOYC is also limp and could be attached to the Out of Stock problems. In fact, the whole health system is bad. No planning whatsoever. Before one starts talking about better MCH, more beds for the elderly, etc one should first tackle the most important of all - the economy. Health needs planning from the foundations, and this cannot be done in 7 months.
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Very unfair comments by Mr. Paul Pace. Useless corridors in Mater Dei are being CONVERTED into wards, as this is a priority. Primary Health Care is in shambles and needs a boost. FOYC is also limp and could be attached to the Out of Stock problems. In fact, the whole health system is bad. No planning whatsoever. Before one starts talking about better MCH, more beds for the elderly, etc one should first tackle the most important of all - the economy. Health needs planning from the foundations, and this cannot be done in 7 months.