Occupational health services for doctors beneficial to all - Cassar

Speaking at the ‘Caring For Doctors’ seminar at Mater Dei, Health Minister Joe Cassar said that he fully endorsed the plan to set up an occupational health services structure for doctors.

The seminar was organised by the Medical Association of Malta to address the issue that whilst doctors were caring for their patients, employers were not caring for their employees which was having an impact on the services being provided.

Speaking as a doctor, Cassar felt that there was a gap in the formal and structured provision of services and said benefits of such a structured service would extend beyond the doctors.

Occupational health services for doctors would also provide a balance between the rights of doctors’ employers and the doctors within the government structure according to the health minister.

Cassar said that occupational health services should provide a vehicle to address the needs of doctors, service users and employers. The central purpose of Occupational health services for doctors is to ensure the physical, mental and social well-being of all doctors.

“The outcomes of the introduction and development of such occupational health services will essentially depend on the one all important acceptance by the doctors to accept that they may need help and support and subsequently to participate in such services accordingly,” Cassar said.

Through the provision of occupational health services, Cassar hoped that individual doctors, their employers and the whole health care system would manage to address a number of minor issue as well as major “which are often, unfortunately, not given due attention”.

“Occupational health services should be able to provide the platform where problems, challenges and issues are addressed in the most appropriate way possible,” Cassar said.

Cassar said that such services would curtail under-reaction to major incidents varying from “disrespectful addressing of patients and staff by doctors” to “alcohol and substance abuse by doctors”.

“In order for the planned occupational services to come to fruition, individual doctors need to work together to identify, pick up and help those around us who may be struggling and indeed drowning,” Cassar said.

The health minister also said that the provision of training in these occupational health professions was required and extended invitations to any one interested in the field to express interest to the government.