Overwhelmed COVID-19 response team calls on doctors, trainees, and professional retirees for help

Medical professionals have been called to help the coronavirus response team at the Public Health Department as it tries to cope with an exponential increase in infections

16 October 2020, 2:26pm
by Nicole Meilak

1 min read

Public health authorities are overwhelmed as COVID-19 infections rise

The public health department is recruiting newly-graduated doctors, trainees, and retired professionals to help in contact-tracing and investigation of coronavirus cases amid a surge in infections.

Emails have been circulating among many new doctors and specialised trainees, asking them to report to the Public Health Department as of next Monday.

Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci confirmed that eight new doctors will be helping the public health team from Monday.

“With the COVID-19 numbers as they are, we need to remember that the public health team is what it is, and in order to keep on investigating cases we have had to bring in more doctors,” she said during her weekly briefing on Friday.

Gauci confirmed that several doctors were already working within the team on a rotation basis, carrying out contact tracing and investigation.

A separate expression of interest was published by the health ministry to recruit retired healthcare professionals or professionals employed in the private sector within the COVID-19 response team.

Malta has seen a major increase in active cases, doubling in number since last week. A new record of 122 cases were registered overnight with total active cases now running at 1,095.

479 of these cases are linked to family clusters.

Nicole Meilak is deputy online editor and IĠM press awards (Most Promising Journalist) wi...