Muscat warns of the beginning of 'paid healthcare' by government

Adds reaction by the PN

Labour leader Joseph Muscat this afternoon warned that a proposal by the Nationalist Party to refund medicines was the "first step towards paid healthcare".

In its proposals for the 9 March elections, the PN has pledged to refund medicines bought from pharmacies when the free medicine provided by government runs out of stock. But according to Muscat, this meant that the consumers would be paying for the free medicine they are entitled to.

"Government buys medicine at different prices from those sold at pharmacies. The refund will be given according to the price the government purchases its medicine.  This means that you will not be given a full refund," he said during a political activity in Qormi.

Muscat explained that if a consumer bought the medicine for €10, government would have probably bought the same medicine for €4. "In other words, the patient would receive back only €4 and not €10. So listen carefully, because such a system is the first step towards a paid healthcare and this is unacceptable," the Labour leader warned.

Muscat reassured his audience that there were systems which a Labour government would adopt to ensure that those entitled to free medicine wouldn't have to pay.

Muscat said the PL had throughout these four weeks presented 100 proposals. "We have listened to the unions, to the employers, to the families and their feedback is what has designed our roadmap," he said.

After starting the day with a press conference announcing a number of proposals related to the health sector, it was inevitable that the first of this evening's two activities would be dominated by health.

The health proposals were this time explained to the public by a number of doctors contesting the election a Labour ticket, including Chris Fearne, Deo Debattista, Godfrey Farrugia, Silvio Grixti and MP Michael Farrugia.

Sitting among the party supporters and candidates for the sixth district, Muscat reiterated the party's commitment to set up a patients' charter and the distribution of medicine to the elderly instead of the elderly queuing up.

Muscat said it was a Labour government that had introduced a free healthcare system on the island.

"Our plan is for healthcare to remain a free service for everyone," he said. "We have a clear roadmap for this sector and we have come to you with concrete proposals and costings."

Turning his attention towards the young people, Muscat said that in 2004 government had decided that there were enough nurses and had removed the stipends for students studying nursing.

"The consequence of that decision is that today we have to turn to foreign nurses and ask them to come and work here. I urge students to start considering a career in healthcare because we are going to need a lot of workers in this sector," he said.

At the end of the activity, Muscat took his time to sign copies of his biography as he was caught in an excited crowd of party supporters.

PN's reaction

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Party accused Muscat of "lying" and recycling former PL leader Alfred Sant's claim in 2008.

"Sant had come up with the same lie five years ago and during these years we have proved what a lie it had been because health services remained free of charge," the PN said in a statement.

The PN added that it had been MEP Edward Scicluna who had written that taxpayers should start paying for healthcare.

"Muscat had also lauded Sant's government for introducing a tax on medicine and described the measure as responsible and serious," the party said adding that Muscat was against free healthcare.