Doctors to intensify industrial action after union delegation abandons Health Minister meeting

The doctors’ union will escalate industrial action from Wednesday • Claims meeting with Health Minister was characterised by ‘shouting and finger-pointing’

Doctors will be intensifying industrial action in public health facilities (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)
Doctors will be intensifying industrial action in public health facilities (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

The Medical Association of Malta will escalate industrial action in public hospitals from Wednesday after a union delegation walked out of talks on Friday.

MAM said the meeting was characterised by “lots of shouting and finger-pointing” by Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela.

“The MAM delegation had to leave the meeting because it was not the right attitude for professional discussion,” the union said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

MAM said it will escalate its actions from Wednesday but stopped short of outlining what the new directives will be.

The union is currently in a trade dispute with the government over an outsourcing agreement that sees non-serious emergency patients at Mater Dei Hospital being transferred for treatment in private hospitals. The union had ordered doctors not to refer patients, claiming the government failed to consult it prior to signing the outsourcing agreement.

The arrangement was intended to ease the pressure on MDH’s emergency department.

In its statement, MAM said it was concerned with the ministry’s decision to proceed with private sector outsourcing without obtaining MAM's written consent. The union said this violates a “binding standing agreement” with the government.

“This was specifically drawn up to avoid the repetition of the Vitals-Steward fraud. MAM had previously agreed to stop the strike action at the time with the proviso that all future outsourcing of medical services would need prior MAM written approval,” the union said.

This approval, the union claimed, was never sought despite repeated requests including a court protest.

However, MAM added that general practitioners in health centres are facing unprecedented pressures. “Despite repeated attempts by MAM to initiate dialogue about their challenging working conditions, all efforts have repeatedly fallen on deaf ears.”

The union also accused the ministry of making poor management decisions, citing “unworkable procedures” in emergency and health centre managers resorting to a stop leave order.

The union called on the Health Ministry to engage in constructive dialogue. It also listed its requests: Government honour existing agreements requiring consultation on private sector involvement; review “burdensome” SOPs for emergency department doctors; engage in immediate discussions regarding GP working conditions; respect standard civil service procedures with regards appointments of doctors in senior positions.