'Visit Mt Carmel before reaching conclusion,' nurses' union tells Mental Health Commissioner

The Malta Union of Nurses and Midwives has criticised the Mental Health Commissioner for reacting to nurses' concerns on immigrants admitted to Mount Carmel Hospital before visiting the facility.

"Having a Mental Health Commissioner issuing a statement just two hours after MUMN's press release hiding behind the presumption that 'prior to being admitted to MCH, an appropriate assessment of the person is conducted' shows lack of responsibility, lack of investigative work and the laissez-faire attitude of such a commissioner," the union said.

On Friday the Commissioner for Mental Health lambasted MUMN for its reaction to migrants being treated at Mount Carmel Hospital, insisting that before being admitted an appropriate assessment of the person is conducted. 

MUMN had claimed that immigrants were "purposely causing self-harm" and "abusing the system" to move to Mount Carmel from detenrion facilities. The union ordered nurses not to allow admissions from migrants from detention centres.

The union later said that the hospital's management informed them that migrants would be transferred elsewhere.

MUMN said that before commenting on the situation, the commissioner should have had the "decency" to go to the hospital and visit the mixed admissions ward, go through patient files and speak to doctors and nurses. Instead, the union said the commissioner issued a statement, "never having left his office," without assessing "the whole picture."

"If Dr Cachia would have investigated, he would have seen that doctors have repeatedly refused such patients, and these were only admitted due to medical-legal issues. If Dr Cachia had investigated, he would have found that such patients are not on any form of oral treatment. Dr Cachia never even bothered to investigate many other issues which are related to illegal immigrants," the MUMN said. 

MUMN insisted the behaviour of immigrants was jeopardising not just the nursing staff, but also the wellbeing of other patients in the same ward.