Robert Abela pledges free endometriosis medication, women’s health clinic

A new Labour government will prioritise women’s health through the creation of a specialised clinic, Robert Abela said on Wednesday evening.

He was addressing an election campaign event organised by Nisa Laburisti in Floriana that focussed on challenges faced by women.

The prime minister said the clinic will be dedicated to gynaecological check-ups and contraceptive prescriptions. He also pledged that a new Labour government will ensure that medicines used to treat endometriosis, and hormone replacement therapy will be given for free.

Abela also promised to re-introduce legal amendments that had started being debated in parliament before it was dissolved intended to clamp down on image-based abuse, including deepfakes.

The police will also take on a pro-active role in the cyber world and carry out online patrols to protect children and vulnerable persons from abuse, Abela added.

The Labour leader said measures will be taken to ensure that domestic violence victims can testify via video conference in court cases.

On the cultural front, Abela pledged that in the new legislature, artists will be offered business training, including guidance on administering finances, marketing, pricing and knowledge of legal frameworks.

He said a new PL government will create a package of initiatives to help artistic and creative start-ups. Abela said a digital lab will be set up to give digital creators the support they need to be more creative and develop their ideas in a holistic manner.