Paramedics strike leads to ‘blood clot’ in test appointments, results

An industrial action directive to all paramedics at Mater Dei Hospital and health centres, issued just under two weeks ago by the Health Services Section within the Malta Workers Union (UHM), has led to a blockage in blood test appointments and the processing of results.

The union is calling on government to improve the working conditions of paramedics.

Following a meeting by the executive committee representing the paramedics held earlier this week, it has also been decided that further industrial action will be taken as from today, widening the participation of other health professionals.

The union's statement, released on Monday, stated that "the strike will now also involve the participation of occupational therapists, audiologists, and speech language therapists, among others".

MaltaToday is informed that as a result of such action, appointments for patients visiting health centres for blood tests such as sugar and cholesterol levels are being delayed to as late as end September, while the processing of test results are also at a standstill, "irrelevant of the urgency of the case".

"We have been told that due to the strike, which involves medical laboratory scientists, blood test appointments and the processing of results would take longer than usual," a source said.

When contacted by MaltaToday, Gian Paul Gauci, UHM Secretary for the Health Services, categorically denied that blood test appointments of patients were being delayed due to the industrial actions.

"I am informed and can confirm that emergency blood tests are taking place and on no occasion has there been any blood test appointments which required urgent attention cancelled or delayed. I wish to add that when there was a query whether such test was urgent or not, the sample was treated as urgent."

According to a UHM statement released prior to the industrial action on June 28, routine tests by GP's and health centres such as checking of cholesterol levels "will not be processed, however the union was making sure that emergency cases and life-threatening situations are to be avoided in these action".

The paramedic's umbrella group (now called Allied Health Professionals) is made up of various professions, namely radiographers, audiologists, physiotherapists, podologists, medical laboratory scientists, dental technologists, dental hygienists, among others.

According to a MaltaToday reader, his appointment has been delayed to end September due to the strike, which originally kicked off on June 28. "This was highly dangerous since such action was irresponsible and playing with the life of patients," the source said.

Gauci however maintained that the Medical Laboratory Scientists had been issued a directive to stop processing routine tests by GP's and health centres (cholesterol, PSA, etc.) Moreover, it had been made sure that emergency cases were to be dealt with immediately.

Gauci added that samples, whether urgent or not, are being processed should they arrive from Mater Dei Hospital or any other hospital.

For the past year and a half, the Union has been in discussion with the Health Division so that working conditions of paramedics would better reflect their workload. It seems however that the Division, which the Union had requested on various occasions for its position on such proposals, never gave its position and the meetings have stalled since then.

For this reason, the Union informed paramedics that it was left with no option but resort to industrial action. Each of the professional categories was issued with a number of directives, such as refraining from using communication devices, no work in the community is done, no new outpatients and CDAU cases are seen and routine tests by GP's and Health Centres such as checking of cholesterol levels will not be processed. The Union is also making sure that emergency cases and life-threatening situations are to be avoided in these actions.

However, one source told MaltaToday that he had not been asked whether his case was urgent or not by health centre administrative staff, and had his appointment set towards the end of September.

But in this case, MaltaToday is informed that the health centre's GP's would specify the nature of the case, and if a patient's tests were to be treated as urgent, the GP would specify on the patient's appointment card prior to setting the appointment.

Meanwhile, the union said it believes that avoidance of industrial action is possible, should the Health Division be in a position to give its counter-proposals to the same union.  However, until now no remedial action has been taken.

When asked if any remedial action had in fact been taken by the Ministry of Health in the light of the strike, Ministry of Health public relations officer Gordon Pace confirmed that the ministry held a number of meetings (prior to UHM actions) with the union to discuss the specific conditions of the paramedic class. But the number of proposals the union presented was not based on established regulations and policies within the Public Service, such as the union's claim for automatic promotions.

"UHM is still adamant on this approach and in no way is willing to consider that the only way for promotions is based on meritocracy and qualifications. Therefore, government was not in a position to present its counter-proposals since the parameters of negotiations could not be agreed to.

"Notwithstanding this, there has been agreement in principle, on a number of issues, especially related to the further development of the professionals in this class and there it is with disappointment to see that UHM have reverted to industrial action when there were on-going efforts to reach agreement."

Meanwhile, the Health Services Section within the UHM yesterday released a statement condemning the abusive and intimidating behaviour by a small number of administrative staff towards paramedics participating in the strike.

Other cases of abuse, according to the statement, was that of a number of medical professionals that tried intimidating radiographers that work in the Casualty department within Mater Dei Hospital.

Despite these threats, the UHM proudly noted that paramedics still went ahead and followed the union's directives.