Access issue at hospital resolved

Inaccessibility problems at St Luke's Hospital should soon be resolved following an agreement between the National Commission Persons with Disability and the Health Ministry.

The commission filed a case in court against the ministry last June over the lack of accessible sanitary facilities at the hospital's outpatients and emergency departments.

Yesterday, however, the commission announced that an agreement had been reached.

The commission still has a pending issue with the ministry over lack of accessibility to the Gzira health centre.

In a statement, the commission said it had presented two judicial protests against a Gozitan hotel and restaurant.

Referring to the Calypso Hotel, the commission said plans which it received in 2002 for structural work at the hotel were in line with the commission's guidelines for accessibility. However, these plans were not followed and the hotel is not accessible to everyone.

The commission said that when the restaurant Latini opened in 2004 it had made the necessary arrangements to conform with the guidelines, but the management later removed a ramp at the entrance.