Doctors fear new hospital may not open on July 1

The Medical Association of Malta fears that Mater Dei Hospital will not start operating on time despite the government's insistence it is doing all it can to ensure its opening on July 1.

MAM general secretary Martin Balzan said the fear stemmed mainly from the critical shortage of doctors in several departments.

"As the medical manpower situation worsens, doctors' working conditions deteriorate, while the health service continues to experience increasing difficulties to provide the best possible service to patients," he said.

Two main issues worry the association: Talks on the working conditions at the new hospital have not been concluded and many experienced doctors are taking up jobs abroad.

Doctors, he added, were not prepared to move to Mater Dei before they were aware of their working conditions.

At the MAM's annual general meeting last week, doctors unanimously authorised the association to take measures to ensure that talks on working conditions were concluded before medical staff are deployed to the hospital.

On a visit to Mater Dei on Tuesday, the Parliamentary Secretary at the Finance Ministry Tonio Fenech reaffirmed the government's commitment to complete the hospital by July 1, admitting, however, that working with contractors and tenders could mean hiccups along the way.