Oncology chief says politicians should carry responsibility for ‘wrongdoings’

The former head of the Oncology department within Mater Dei Hospital Dr Stephen Brincat has told MaltaToday that despite politicians having the right and duty to decide policies, they also carried the responsibility to answer for any of their "wrondoings".

"Politicians have the right to decide but if they get their strategies wrong, especially after having been given clear advice by their own experts in the field, then one would expect somebody to carry responsibility," Brincat told MaltaToday.

When asked why he had initially resigned, Brincat said that he saw no point in continuing in a position which was being constantly undermined by the Health Department.

"I had no desire to head a department combining the specialities of haematology and oncology when my expertise is only in the latter and which would have required so much administrative work that it would have kept me away from my patients,  which is my prime purpose as a doctor.

"I am sure that we will have an excellent oncology centre at Mater Dei, primarily because I have confidence in the expertise and dedication of the staff who will be giving the service."

Brincat added that he is looking forward to seeing the new centre in operation "since I've spent years working on this project".

On the long waiting list claims, Brincat said that "given our resources, we have a very personalised, friendly and competent service with no waiting list.

"It is a service that is being constantly upgraded and improved and we have repeatedly managed to introduce new and highly complex technology for the improved treatment of our patients and taken it in our stride without any fuss or fanfare.

"For many years we ran research programmes that were monitored by foreign staff and throughout we have had nothing but praise for our standards. It was a pity that the Health Ministry didn't appreciate this fact."

When asked how Boffa Hospital was faring, Brincat said that Boffa has been under great stress because "we've had to cope with an ever increasing workload with too few resources.

"The Malta Cancer Foundation, which I set up,  has pumped 500,000 euros in equipment for the cancer department to keep it going.

"The fact that I never received so much as a thank you note from the health ministry speaks for itself."

What kind of obstacles did Brincat encounter, MaltaToday asked Brincat.

"The list is endless, starting from the location for cancer services to objecting and being told which patients not to discharge and ones to admit. 

"I object to offering a medical service likely to be unsafe for reasons that are not medical. I also believe that small units are run more efficiently than large ones. Having said that, I'm sure I'll have no problem working with whoever is appointed. I've never had problems working with other doctors. We speak the same language."

When asked why so many thousands of euros were lost in the process, Brincat said that "three years of planning a large project, like the move of all facilities from Boffa Hospital to Zammit Clapp, cost bundles of cash while building a radiation bunker and new wing at Boffa, soon to be abandoned, cost even more."

Brincat added that it is pointless in saying "I warned you" but "I can't help noting the irony of the situation, that it's the one who got it right who felt obliged to resign".

Brincat said that he intended to continue with his work as an oncologist in the public service and look forward to dedicating more time to patient care.