Nursing aide committed to Mt Carmel after dispute with superior to be transferred

A nursing aide who was committed against her will following an argument she had with a Mt Carmel superior has met with Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and will soon start working in another institution, according to GWU secretary for the public sector Jeremy Camilleri.

Camilleri insisted with MaltaToday that the woman had been examined by an independent psychiatrist, who confirmed she was in full control of her mental powers. She denied all counts being brought against her by the Mt Carmel management and said she never claimed she wanted to take her own life.

Camilleri said last week that the woman had been forced to spend two months at home after four days of being confined to a ward against her will. "The aide denied everything—this was absolutely scandalous on the part of the Mt Carmel management especially when this woman was certified fit for work. She can start working as soon as tomorrow."

Camilleri said that the woman couldn't possibly continue working at Mt Carmel because being confined to the ward she used to work in with patients she used to be responsible for, being escorted by her former colleagues to the bathroom and eyeballed as she took showers was simply too traumatising.

Her case is now up to a decision of the Commission for Mental Health, Camilleri said. Allegations of misconduct being levelled at Mt Carmel management, especially in light of the nursing aide's mental capacities being corroborated by an independent psychiatrist, will be dealt with following the Commission's report, he said.

Camilleri said that an hour after Thursday's press conference came to a close, Deputy PM Chris Fearne called the GWU to discuss the possibility of a meeting next week with regards to another complaint levelled by the union.

He explained that careworkers are employed by a third-party contractor through a tendering system. In this case the contractor is Healthmark Care Services, a subsidiary of DB Group. 

"They are not trained to do this work and Mt Carmel is short on staff. What's worse is that these employees can be let off without redress."

Camilleri said that this will be addressed during the meeting with the Deputy PM Chris Fearne next week.

Fearne had already told MaltaToday earlier this week that work is currently taking place on the setting up of a course for careworkers to obtain the necessary skills as nursing aides.