Labour and PN clash over healthcare

The Labour and Nationalist parties clashed over the state of the country’s healthcare system, trading accusations over past performance and future plans.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said a string of major healthcare projects promised by the government remain unfulfilled, describing them as a “legacy of unkept pledges”.

Among the projects it listed were a new mental health hospital, developments at the Emergency Department, the Northern Hub, a Mother and Baby Hospital, new outpatients facilities, and upgrades to St Luke’s Hospital, Karin Grech Hospital and Gozo General Hospital.

The party also pointed to measures it said were only partially implemented, including breast cancer screening for women under 45, abdominal aortic aneurysm screening for the elderly, a fund for new cancer medicines, improvements to the genitourinary clinic and a new collective agreement for healthcare workers.

Speaking at a press conference, Nationalist Party candidates Ian Vassallo and Adrian Delia said the government had “wasted 13 years” instead of investing adequately in people’s health.

They argued that this had resulted in lost time that could have been used to improve services and reduce waiting times, while also alleging that €900 million had been squandered.

The party said it was proposing a “clear vision” for the sector, including better access to healthcare services closer to where people live and the creation of a National Health Park focused on prevention and rehabilitation. It added that it would prioritise cancer care and improve conditions for healthcare workers.

The Labour Party rejected the criticism, arguing that the Nationalist Party’s proposals reflected past policies and showed it was not ready to govern.

Labour MP Chris Fearne said the opposition’s plans lacked detail and were not based on a concrete strategy. He described it as “dangerous” for a party to aspire to lead the health sector without a clear and detailed plan.

Fearne also accused the Nationalist Party of focusing too heavily on tertiary care while ignoring primary care services such as family doctors and community health centres. He said this approach risked repeating problems seen before 2013 and warned that weakening primary care would have serious consequences.

He added that, in recent years, services in the community had expanded, with new facilities opening to bring care closer to patients’ homes.

On workforce proposals, Fearne said measures put forward by the Nationalist Party could lead to discrimination between Maltese healthcare workers and those working abroad who return to Malta. He said European law could require such benefits to apply to other EU citizens, potentially creating tensions within the sector.

Parliamentary Secretary Glenn Bedingfield also criticised the opposition, saying it had failed to learn from past mistakes and was sending mixed messages, including on policies related to foreign workers. He argued this created uncertainty about the party’s direction.

Bedingfield further questioned the Nationalist Party’s position on waiting lists, pointing to what he described as contradictions between its current statements and past record. He also said there was a lack of clarity on where and how a new hospital proposed by the party would be built.

He said the Labour Party, by contrast, was presenting a clear and costed vision for healthcare, addressing the needs of people at every stage of life.