Elderly man carried through restaurant tables as ambulance access blocked in Gozo square

An elderly man who fainted in St George's Square, Victoria, was carried on a stretcher through restaurant tables after an ambulance was unable to access the area on Friday morning, sources told MaltaToday.

“Carrying the man through the square was a serious disregard for the person’s dignity,” PN Candidate Beppe Galea said on a Facebook post, referring to Friday’s incident.

The incident occurred around 10:30 am when medical staff were forced to navigate a maze of tables and chairs outside restaurants facing the Basilica to reach their patient.

A week ago, the Lands Authority submitted a planning application for a masterplan that sets out the extent and design guidelines for outdoor catering areas at Pjazza San Gorg in Rabat, Gozo, which has fallen under criticism.

“It is pointless for the authorities to create one masterplan after another if everyone is allowed to do what they want. It is more serious that this masterplan will continue to make the situation worse,” Galea said.

The St George’s Parish expressed serious concerns about the new plan, where they [the Parish] stressed that rather than addressing the problems, it will aggravate them.

Galea said that Victoria residents felt they were being "steamrolled" as they faced "blatant injustices and daily inconveniences.

In comments to MaltaToday, the Lands Ministry said it has taken note of public comments and the architect responsible for the new masterplan will be meeting stakeholders to gather feedback on the plans.