MAM in 'goodwill' gesture

The Medical Association of Malta yesterday released four doctors from its work-to-rule directive "as a sign of goodwill".

Association general secretary Martin Balzan said doctors were needed in case any of the 195 illegal immigrants who arrived yesterday required urgent medical assistance.

Last week MAM ordered doctors not to move from their assigned departments to the Emergency Department. The health authorities reassigned doctors to the latter department to make up for a shortage of doctors there. But the association argues that the doctors are not sufficiently experienced, the amount of supervision at casualty is not adequate and the other departments have their own staff shortages.

On Thursday the Health Division said it was considering increasing the total number of doctors at the emergency department to 36 from January.

Questioned on whether this measure would lead the MAM to lift its directives, Dr Balzan said the association was not yet in a position to do this.

However, he expressed his confidence that a solution will be found "if there is goodwill".

Dr Balzan said increasing the number of doctors at casualty was in the end in the patients' best interests.