'No consultation' on health reform

The government hasn't got anywhere close to implementing a holistic reform of the health sector and has only implemented staggered reforms without any consultation, according to the Union Haddiema Maghqudin.

Discussion on health reform had been triggered off at a national conference some 12 years ago when the government had invited unions and professional bodies to engage in a discussion that should have led to reform. But the discussion was never followed up and the government seems to be implementing its agenda without consulting with the unions, the UHM said yesterday.

Referring to the call for applications to set up new managerial roles at St Luke's and Mount Carmel hospitals, the union said a new set-up was being devised without consultation.

"In 1993, the new nurses' grades were established by the government and the unions and one of the departmental nursing managers was allocated to the outpatients department. Now new calls are being issued without any consultation whatsoever," the union said.

The UHM said sectoral agreements regarding paramedics, health inspectors and pharmacists were taking too long because meetings were being postponed.

The union also said that when it came to discussing certain sectoral reforms, the government was presenting a pre-prepared plan and expecting the UHM to agree with it.