MAM denial over roster

The Medical Association of Malta yesterday said there had been no proposals for a change in the doctors` roster at health centres since the new MAM council was elected last August.

The association was reacting to a parliamentary reply given by Health Minister Louis Deguara on Monday, in which he said problems with manning health centres by doctors would be solved if they accepted a change in roster.

In a statement signed by general secretary Martin Balzan, MAM denied categorically that there had been any discussions on the matter.

It pointed out that the complement of doctors in the health centres stood at around 40 per cent of what was needed, and blamed the shortage on the poor working conditions that had led scores of doctors to leave the service over the years.

"The February MAM-government agreement was a step in the right direction offering a reasonable, though not an extraordinary, improvement in the financial package. It was only intended as a long overdue exercise to correct anomalies with respect to other public service employees.

"The government had repeatedly assured MAM that it was only an interim agreement until discussions on the new collective agreement, on restructuring of primary health care and on devolution of the new hospital are concluded. No progress has been made on any of these fronts," the association said.

It said it had never been involved on the establishment of a doctors` co-operative but it was reasonably well-informed that the co-operative`s proposals had not been accepted by the government and that there were no ongoing discussions.

Discussions on the new hospital had not yet started, although they had been `imminent` for almost a year.

"Unfortunately doctors` car reimbursements have continued to be taxed, in spite of repeated assurances to the contrary last January. It now appears certain that the government has gone back on its word.

"Furthermore, health centre doctors are only being offered about 50 per cent of the sum given to other professionals in other ministries as re-imbursement for the use of their car."

This sate of affairs was clearly unacceptable to MAM, it said.

"It appears that the health division cannot learn from past mistakes, as such an attitude can only make more doctors leave the service. Indeed if the number of doctors manning the health service continues to decrease, service may have to be curtailed further so as to guarantee patient safety."