Nationalist MP says government has no clear strategy in health

Nationalist MP Claudio Grech today said that the opposition was not informed over the possible return of patients to St Luke’s hospital but called on government to seek consensus over health sector reform.

Grech said that he had no insight into reports - first revealed by this newspaper this morning - that beds were being transferred from the former private hospital St Philip's Hospital to St Luke's as a means of solving the problem of bed shortage at Mater Dei.

"I have only just seen the reports myself but I cannot confirm or deny this," he said.

"If such a significant decision has been taken, I certainly believe that government should have consulted, or at least informed, us and the public."

Stressing that he was not ready to "shoot down" the development before he had further knowledge, the MP however said that it was not the way things should be done.

"In the spirit of consensus, we would have expected some form of dialogue," he said.

"Of course, it must be kept in mind that it is not simply about re-opening the wards but these wards need to be re-equipped," he said, adding that he at least hoped the various Unions had been consulted.

Grech was speaking at a press conference entitled 'A critical review of Labour's first year in the health sector', at the PN headquarters in Pieta.

Noting that government "fell short of the citizens expectations and it's own pre-electoral promises", Grech said that it was evident that Labour had an "unclear strategic direction" for the sector.

"White papers and documents alone will not deliver outcomes," he said.

Describing government as "limping from one crisis to another", he said that government had no innovative ideas to address challenges such as sustainability.

"It is clear that the electoral roadmap they spoke about never really existed," Grech said, adding "government's promises have came to nothing."