Gonzi demands apology from Sant

Lawrence Gonzi yesterday again made it clear that health services will be free as long as he remains Prime Minister.

And he insisted that the Health Financing Reform proposal, released by the Labour Party earlier this week as evidence that the government planned to make people pay for health care, had never been discussed at Cabinet level.

He called on Opposition Leader Alfred Sant to apologise for accusing him of lying, now that the report's author had made a sworn declaration that the report had indeed not been discussed by the Cabinet. Speaking during a press conference on healthcare, marked by a barrage of questions from the media about the report, Dr Gonzi accused Dr Sant of trying to deceive the people.

"Dr Sant should have the decency to admit making a mistake and that the report had not been presented to Cabinet for discussion."

With Mater Dei Hospital in the background, Dr Gonzi reiterated that he had no intention of introducing any payment for health services during his Premiership.

While his government had a good track record in the health sector, the MLP's was "embarrassing" and marked by the introduction of fees for medicines given for free on the NHS and a tax on medical certificates.

"Do not accuse me of what you introduced yourself. I never made anyone pay," he said, addressing Dr Sant.

He circulated to the media a 1998 report about cost cutting at Zammit Clapp Hospital which recommended that patients pay for the cost of food, day patients be charged for transport and that the Foundation for Medical Services board should consider charging for social cases, although it should first evaluate the political implications.

Dr Gonzi said the PN believed that people who were ill should only think about getting better rather than having to worry about how they would pay for treatment.

The challenge of a sustainable health system had been there for a number of years and his government had addressed it while reducing the deficit and working towards a balanced budget in 2010.

He underlined the fact that, although local health services were free of charge, workers contributed to it through their national insurance contributions.

"The sustainability of the health service depends on having a successful economy, which creates jobs."

The MLP's promise of creating 2,000 jobs a year, when 5,000 were needed, meant that health services would be in trouble, he continued. The country's deficit would increase and a Labour government would cut health services because achieving a balanced budget by 2010 was not a priority for Labour.

In the next legislature, his government would focus on strengthening community health care. Through the use of e-medicine, GPs and health centre doctors would be able to access their patients' hospital and medicine records.

He highlighted the importance of working towards the eradication of waiting lists, through partnerships with private institutions and establishing the maximum length of time patients should wait for a medical procedure. His government would intensify its fight against cancer through a structured plan tackling prevention and treatment, turning Zammit Clapp into a specialised cancer hospital with more facilities for radiotherapy.

There would be more schemes to encourage the elderly to continue living in their homes, including the setting up of night shelters.

Moreover, he said, Malta should become a centre of excellence that would attract foreign patients by 2015. This, he said, should help contribute to the sustainability and improvement of services.