Malta 'lowest spender' on heart disease

Malta has the lowest rate of spending on heart disease among all EU countries, a report drawn up the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has shown.

Malta spends a total of €5.95 (Lm2.58) per head on treating heart disease, in stark contrast to the UK, which spends €87.85 (Lm38.19), more than any other European country.

Finland - the country with the highest heart disease rate - spends €54.83, whereas Latvia and Hungary - the second and third lowest spenders - fork out €7.73 and €10.97 per capita respectively.

According to the BHF, Malta faced healthcare costs of €2.36 million. On top of this, and excluding medication, hospital and GP appointments, the illness also prevented many patients from working, losing Malta €337,758 in productivity.

When contacted, the Director General Health, Ray Busuttil, said that one should treat the figures with caution. Certain items and services related to heart disease were much cheaper in Malta than other EU countries, he said. For example, hospital intervention and medicines were far cheaper in Malta than the UK.

He admitted, however, that Malta's expenditure on health was not among the highest in the EU. "But we perform all interventions required in the field and the quality of service we provide is second to none," Dr Busuttil said.

The incidence of heart disease in Malta is not low and it is also one of the areas where the Health Department spends most, he said.

Of every 100,000 people, 172 died of ischaemic heart disease in Malta in 2002, nearly double the EU average of 97.

Peter Weissberg, medical director of the BHF, said that as survival with heart disease had improved, it had become a long-term, chronic condition for more and more people, rather than a means to a quick death.