Health centre doctors may take action

The Medical Association of Malta might be issuing directives to health centre doctors tomorrow following a meeting this evening, The Times has learnt.

The directives would limit the services offered at government health centres.

Earlier this month, the MAM forwarded three proposals to the government with the aim of offering a better service at such centres.

But the MAM is not happy with the government's reaction to its proposals - which suggested prioritising patients attending government health centres according to their needs, a system of continuity of care for non-urgent cases and improving the record-keeping system.

The possible directives will be discussed this evening during a meeting that the MAM is holding for health centre doctors.

Discussions about the situation at health centres have been ongoing between the association and health authorities for the past two to three months, but MAM general secretary Martin Balzan said things were now coming to a head.

"The brain drain is biting and doctors are fed up," he said. The MAM has long been saying that conditions of work were leading to more doctors seeking employment either abroad or within the private sector.

Earlier this month Dr Balzan had said that doctors were seeing as many as 60 patients a day, saying that there was a mismatch between the workload and the number of doctors. He said this was taking place at the expense of quality of care.