Updated | PN warns Mater Dei in a ‘disastrous situation’

Poor decisions taken by Mater Dei’s management have left the hospital in a “disastrous situation”, the Nationalist Party has warned.

Shadow health minister Claudette Buttigieg said in a statement that the hospital’s management has had to resort to using the day surgery recovery area to treat people with different medical conditions and possible infectious diseases.

“Until today, this was a medically segregated area, restricted to a limited number of staff members,” Buttigieg said, while quoting acting Mater Dei CEO Joseph Zarb Adami  as saying that the hospital “has never been in such a disastrous situation prior to today”.

“Wrong decisions taken by the management, including its CEO [Ivan Falzon], are not only negatively effecting the service given to patients, but are also creating tension on the employees.

“It is very unfair that hospital employees are faced with unnecessary pressure which can leave very negative impact at the expense of the patients and their recovery outcomes.”

Minister promises 300 new hospital beds

In response, Health Minister Konrad Mizzi said that extensive work is being carried out to add 300 new beds to Mater Dei.

“The construction of a building next to the Emergency Department, in which 68 new beds will be placed, is in its final stages and should open its doors to patients in December,” the minister said in a statement. “Afterwards, the government will proceed with expanding the building so as to increase the bed capacity.”

He added that Malta’s hospital bed capacity will further increase through planned investment in St. Luke’s Hospital, Karin Grech Hospital, and the Gozo General Hospital.