PM intervenes over childcare centre at Mater Dei

An "intervention" by the Prime Minister has ensured that Mater Dei Hospital will have a child-minding facility after all.

When contacted, a spokesman for the new hospital said plans are underway to build the child-care centre.

Up to a few months ago, the hospital was not going to have such a facility - news that did not go down well with the staff, whom the centre would serve.

The issue was discussed during a meeting between the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, said MUMN president Paul Pace. The union was grateful for the interest Dr Gonzi had taken in the matter, he added.

Dr Gonzi instructed the hospital project team to come up with proposals for a childcare facility within the hospital grounds.

Originally, the hospital designs included such a facility, but the space earmarked for it was taken up by a clinical area, and the authorities started thinking about building the facility outside the hospital grounds or else outsourcing the service.

Both the MUMN and the Malta Confederation of Women's Organisations had stressed that the centre should be established within the hospital premises.

The confederation had argued that an on-site centre would offer parents among the staff the chance to take their children to work with them without the inconvenience of having to ferry them somewhere else and picking them up later.

The possibility of providing transport from the new hospital to the childcare centre had been shrugged off, with the confederation saying it was unlikely that parents would be willing to subject their children to the inconvenience of travelling in a minivan to and from the centre. Moreover, Mr Pace said hospital workers had different rosters.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Pace pointed out that the current centre at St Luke's Hospital closes at 5 p.m., two hours before the end of the nurses' shift.

He said some staff who do not have support end up taking their children into the wards.

The area identified for the childcare centre at Mater Dei is close to the staff entrance and the staff restaurant, is well lit and has access to a courtyard for a play area while not being easily accessible for the public, the spokesman said.

It is also away from hazardous areas like laboratories or other clinical areas. It will cater for between 30 and 60 children.

Plans for a two-level structure have been completed and are awaiting the necessary permits.

Seven options were presented and evaluated before the final choice of location was made. Professionals on childcare facilities' standards were brought in to ensure that the area would be suitable and have given their go-ahead.