Quarter of complaints received by Ombudsman concerned the Home Affairs Ministry

The Home Affairs Ministry topped the list for the highest number of complaints made with the Office of the Ombudsman, the 2022 annual report shows.

The ministry, and departments under its portfolio had 47 complaints against them, or 25% of the Ombudsman’s caseload.

The Ombudsman report, tabled in parliament a fortnight ago, shows the office received a total of 188 complaints last year.

The police were the department falling under the home affairs ministry with the highest number of complaints - 12.

The Ministry for Finance and Employment (MFE) had the second-highest number of complaints against it. The Office of the Ombudsman received 19 (10%) complaints from aggrieved citizens against the MFE.

The Ministry for Environment, Energy, and Enterprise (MEEE) also had 19 (10%) complaints lodged against it from citizens. These include five complaints lodged against the Ministry for Energy, Enterprise, and Sustainable Development (MESD), as it was referred to before the March general election.

The Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure, and Capital Projects (MTIP) had 16 complaints, which accounted for 9% of the caseload handled by the Ombudsman in 2022.

There were 13 complaints (7%) against a department or authority falling under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).

Breaking down the complaints

The most common complaints received from aggrieved citizens in 2022 were related to unfair treatment or lack of equity, which accounted for 51% of the complaints (96). This was followed by 20 complaints, equivalent to 11% of the caseload, alleging a failure to provide information or reply.

During the past year, the Ombudsman dealt with a total of 434 cases, representing a reduction of 18% compared to the previous year’s caseload.

Out of the 434 cases, 188 were investigated by the Parliamentary Ombudsman, representing a 21% decrease from the previous year.

Additionally, 113 cases were handled by the Commissioner for Health, which reflects a 21% decrease from 2021, while 88 cases were dealt with by the Commissioner for Environment and Planning, representing a 7% reduction from the previous year.

Lastly, the Commissioner for Education handled 45 cases - a 10% reduction from the previous year.

Health Commissioner calls out lack of cooperation by government entities

Charles Messina, who was Health Commissioner until September 2022, expressed his disappointment at the lack of cooperation by government entities, in his farewell message.

“I must admit that there were disappointments during my tenure. For example, despite our repeated requests, the Department of Health failed to provide unredacted versions of the Vitals/Steward contracts,” he said.

He also called out the Office of the Prime Minister for not responding to the cases referred to them in terms of the Ombudsman Act, where the Department of Health failed to implement the commission’s recommendations.

The Exceptional Medicinal Treatment Committee (EMTC) also failed to abide by the terms of reference spelt out by the Ombudsman Act, and the issue of branded medicines persisted since 2016.

“I repeatedly called for the amendment of the protocols that regulate the supply of medicines as they discriminate between one illness and another, which is a breach of the Social Security Act. Unfortunately, despite our efforts over the past eight years, the Department of Health has not taken the necessary steps to amend these protocols,” he said.

He also said the supply of Continuous Glucose Monitors is still not being provided to all patients suffering from Type 1 Diabetes who would benefit immensely from their use.

“It is unfortunate that the Committee (EMTC) and the Central Procurement and Supplies Unit (CPSU) prioritise factors other than the patient’s needs, precluding patients from receiving the medicines they require,” he said.

Messina concluded by stating he hopes the report serves as a call to action for all relevant stakeholders to address the issues outlined in it.