Updated | Nurses' union complains about government cuts, ministry increases NOs

The Malta Union of Midwives & Nurses has asked the health minister to intervene in the recruitment of nursing officer for 60 wards across all hospitals, whose applications were issued ten months ago but no vacancies had been filled.

A reply at 4:30pm this afternoon from the ministry informed the MUMN that the new recruitment would be approved in the coming days. "MUMN had already been informed this week that this would happen... so their statement today is ambiguous."

The ministry also said that the 15 nursing officers originally scheduled to man the hospital wards had now increased to 53.

The MUMN complained that he health minister was not insisiting enough with the finance ministry to speed up the recruitment. “We’re informed that cost-cutting from the finance ministry will mean that only 15 officers will be recruited,” MUMN secretary-general Colin Galea said.

“There is a substantial number of wards that are lacking one of the most important persons for these wards to be managed efficiently and in the interest of patients. Without nursing officers, there is no guarantee that the necessary care is received,” Galea said.

Galea said the union was informed that the Public Service Commission had received a report from the selection board, but a lack of information from the health division had held up the recruitment process.

“After the prime minister’s praise for the health minister, the MUMN expects Cassar to strongly insists that the required 60 nursing officers are not reduced. We can’t understand who the minister accepted this process to take so long.”