[WATCH] No doctor shortage at Gozo General Hospital, Chris Fearne insists

While no doctors have yet been recruited, Health Minister Chris Fearne said interviews were underway for new consultants

Gozo General Hospital
Gozo General Hospital

Health Minister Chris Fearne this morning said that there were no doctor shortages at Gozo General Hospital.

When asked by MaltaToday about recent reports of expected delays due to a shortage of medical consultants, Fearne said that there were no such shortages at the hospital.

Following the transfer of a concession for the running of three of Malta’s hospitals from Vitals Global Healthcare to Steward Health Care, an agreement was signed between the government and the Medical Association of Malta (MAM) for recruitment at the three hospitals to remain the government’s responsibility.

While industry sources told MaltaToday that the agreement that saw Mater Dei consultants working in Gozo came to an end this week, Fearne said that there were no shortages at the hospital. 

Fearne said that a recent call was made for seven new consultants and a number of specialist registrants. He confirmed that applications had closed and interviews were soon to be underway. 

Replying to questions from MaltaToday, Steward Health Care had acknowledged the shortage situation, admitting that it was struggling to meet the hospital’s demands.

“We are doing everything in our power to adjust work schedules to ensure patients suffer as little disruptions as possible.”