Hospital waiting lists are a scandal - Dalli

Social Policy Minister John Dalli yesterday described the hospital waiting lists as "scandalous" saying it was unheard of that one had to wait up to five years for certain operations.

Focusing on e-health during his contribution to the debate in Parliament on the Central Registry Bill, Mr Dalli said that, where necessary, he was willing to consult with everyone. But decisions had to be taken. It was not on that one had to be put on a waiting list for an operation which would take only a few minutes. There had to be good, disciplined management putting patients first and providing them with the best possible service.

Mr Dalli said that the Bill should provide a leap in quality.

One could now develop electronic ID cards which would include information that could eliminate a lot of discomforts, like queuing up for certificates. It was useful for one and all if the country had a common database that would include holistic information on individuals and property. This legislation, the minister said, would open up new and better horizons.

The information to be available could be interesting for a lot of different uses. When analysing what information was to be included in the system, one had to consider what it was going to be used for.

Methods had to be established as to what information was to be accessible and by whom. One had to ensure that systems would have the necessary safeguards to avoid prying, prevent computer fraud and identity theft.

He stressed the importance of updating the information so that it would not become outdated.

He pointed out that a lot of progress has been registered in e-government and Malta was currently known as the most developed country in the sector. Through this system the public could fill applications and forms from the comfort of their own home.

The common database would be of vital importance to continue expanding e-government services.

One of the services to be expanded was that of e-health. This would include a whole database of the medical history of the people, not for prying purposes but so that it could be used in the health system. Through one's ID number, a doctor would know what tests one would have already sat for, the results and what needed to be done. Mr Dalli said that e-health was also needed for the development of primary care. The government acknowledged it was more comfortable for the people and more efficient for the country if this sector worked effectively and more efficiently.

Primary care services had to be expanded. Many matters which were not of an acute nature should no longer be treated in hospital. Health centres had to be well manned and equipped for patients to go closer to home, be served quicker rather than wait for hours at the Emergency Section. There were many factors to be considered in solving this problem and now that the migration had been carried out, one had to go into Mater Dei protocols, systems and staffing to ensure efficiency and the cost benefit of all that was being done.

Mr Dalli said the bottom line in a business plan for Mater Dei was patient satisfaction. He was amazed at the quality and capability of Maltese doctors and nurses. They were unequal so everyone should work together to see how these assets were exploited.

What Malta had was good and it was praised for it. Foreigners wanted to use Malta's health services and the government did not want to tell them it did not have enough resources because these were available.

He appealed for everyone's cooperation, including the opposition's. The sector, he said, should not be turned into a political ball. He should be criticised when he erred but the sector should not be sensationalised. One should not create unnecessary gripes. Malta could have the best possible health sector and it should be built with everyone's cooperation.

The country had been successful in the financial services because there was a receptive opposition which had understood the benefits for the country in setting it up. Although Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici had not been persuaded initially that the government did not have a hidden agenda, when he realised that there were none, both sides cooperated together for Malta to have the best possible legislation.

Mr Dalli promised that in such important sectors he would be seeking even the opposition's help and he hoped it would be given.

For a good primary health system, a flow of information on patients was required. It was important that GPs and health centres could download that patient's history to ensure that a patient did not suffer more harm than good.

It was important to have a planned and controlled structure and the Bill was setting up the medium which would make information availability possible.

A module was introduced for blood tests and this was currently being tested. Blood tests were digitised for results to be available to all those who were authorised to have them. Ambulance men would also be able to read one's history from the electronic ID.

Turning to the registration of property, Mr Dalli called for the development of systems which would lead to one knowing how property could be developed.

Before having a regulatory masterplan for the whole country, it was impossible to get to sustainable development. It was important to know where and what development could be undertaken.

It was only then that Mepa permits would be given within 12 weeks if developers' applications were in line. He said that in Libya, a development register showed what a parcel of land was intended for. If they acquired permits for different development underhandedly, that development could be demolished even years later. Development permits in Libya, he said, were issued within four weeks.

He said that there had to be Mepa policies which made sense and then insist that they were followed by everyone.