Updated | Health ministry attributes 'racist' motive to patient transfer story

The health ministry has "deplored" a report appearing in MaltaToday on Maltese patients having been moved out of the intensive therapy unit (ITU).

"Mater Dei dispenses its care without any distinction between race, colour or nationality but on decisions based on patients' conditions. The ten patients at MDH are in a critical state, and MDH operations continue at a normal pace. Everyone how needs care from the ITU is being given this care," the ministry said.

MaltaToday.com.mt editor Matthew Vella said the health ministry was incorrect and unfair in the way it tried to attribute ulterior motives on its report.

"We refute the insinuation by the health ministry that there should have been some form of distinction between patients of different nationalities.

"The health ministry has a poor communications record and does not cooperate effectively with staff or media in explaining operations at MDH, leaving us with more questions than answers."

MaltaToday reported that the arrival of wounded victims from Libya last Tuesday faced hospital staff with a bed shortage, with the result that three Maltese patients had to be moved out of Mater Dei’s intensive therapy unit (ITU) to accommodate three Libyans who were in critical condition.

Of the 16 patients who were medically evacuated to Malta, six have been transferred to St James Hospital while the rest, all critical, were sent to Mater Dei. The Libyan patients were given beds in various sections of the hospital, including the CAT lab and at the endoscopy area.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, MUMN's president Paul Pace expressed concern at how nurses were reportedly not consulted about the patients' arrival, and that no contingency plan had been put in place for the arrival of the Libyan patients.

Pace said that whilst the hospital was already faced by challenges to cater for the Maltese patients, the hospital did not have enough resources to also cater for a considerable number of foreign patients.

MaltaToday is currently waiting for a reaction from the Health Ministry.