MUMN stresses need for family health nurses

Family health nurses would be crucial to the success of the new hospital, according to the president of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses Rudolph Cini.

The union recently proposed the introduction of the family health nurse as part of the development of primary care, reducing the need for people to go to hospital.

The nurses would offer services in people's houses rather than patients having to go to hospital.

Addressing a news conference to launch a programme of activities to celebrate the MUMN's 10th anniversary on September 26, Mr Cini said Mater Dei Hospital, which was smaller than St Luke's Hospital, should not be allowed to become another St Luke's with patients in corridors because the wards were full.

The union's proposal, although somewhat expensive in the first five years, would work out to be a cheaper option for the country in the long run as it would reduce the number of social cases at the hospital, he maintained.

"It will prevent the new hospital from being a failure," he said, adding that a normal hospital patient cost the country Lm85 a day.

The MUMN presented its proposal to the Health Minister a few days ago and to the opposition health spokesman yesterday.

The union said nurses should be allowed to specialise in family health care and proposed a two-year post-graduate university course.

Mr Cini said there was an urgent need for the talks the government had promised before the opening of the new hospital to be embarked upon as soon as possible. If health reforms were to be brought about and this proposal taken up, it was already late in the day as the new hospital was planned to open within 18 months.

In talks held between March and June last year there had been disagreement on about 80 per cent of what was discussed, he said. The discussions were meant to have restarted last October but the union was still waiting for the promised meetings.

The MUMN would be laying stress on nurses' conditions of work, not just their take-home pay but their working environment, responsibilities and professional recognition.

The authorities had to realise that nurses could take professional decisions. Other countries had nurse-led clinics. Nurses in Malta were prepared for this and their qualifications were the same as those of EU nurses, he said.

The union will be celebrating its anniversary with a conference on women's health on February 24. In March it will hold a seminar on occupational health and safety.

On April 5, a two-day conference under the auspices of the European Federation of Nurses will be held in Malta and the nurse/midwife of the year will be honoured.

A football league will be organised in summer and a billiards marathon will be held in September at Mount Carmel Hospital with proceeds going to Dar tal-Providenza where union members will also donate a day of voluntary work. A thanksgiving Mass will be said at St Luke's Hospital.

On September 17 union members will take part in a three-act comedy at the St Vincent de Paul theatre. This will be open to be public.

Celebrations will peak on September 19 with a gala event.