Thursday, 4th September 2008
Hospital staff given allowance to buy own food
The health authorities have suspended the staff food service at Mater Dei Hospital after a nurse found the severed head of a mouse in her food but the government would not say whether the contractor would still be paid for the service.
"The management is acting according to the provisions of the contract," is all a spokesman for the Social Policy Ministry would say on this point.
The ministry said last night it has instructed the hospital authorities to suspend the canteen service and give staff an allowance to buy their food from elsewhere, instead.
An investigation has been launched into the incident, shortly after news broke out about the unsavoury addition to the nurse's menu on Tuesday. The nurse found the remains while eating in the staff canteen on Monday.
The president of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, Paul Pace told The Times the union was "expecting action to be taken against the contractor and wants to know what safeguards will be taken in the future".
The Health Division said the hospital management took immediate action to launch investigations, with public health inspectors going on site to verify facts and drawing up the first reports.
The company operating the canteen, Papillon Caterers, still opened as usual in the afternoon. But there were no clients to feed, the sources said.
The company said it had destroyed all the stock furnished by a Belgian supplier and terminated all ties with him.
"The contractor is completely confident that the incident did not arise in-house," the Health Division said. It added that local health inspectors, who were checking at the canteen found the contractor and the kitchen to be up to scratch and complying with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) catering standards required by EU legislation. The canteen and kitchen also passed quality control.
Malta Health Care Caterers Ltd said yesterday it has nothing to do with food served to staff at Mater Dei Hospital.
The company said it caters for patients and not staff at Mater Dei, Sir Paul Boffa, Karen Grech and Zammit Clapp hospitals.
The management of Malta Health Care Caterers Ltd said it would like to put the public's mind at rest and assure it that their food satisfies all criteria.
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Same story....."ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS"
Was any bloodtest done to all the staff members who ate from the same batch of food??
Because there are some people in that hospital working 36 hr shifts, every 2 days.... that means eating a packed lunch for breakfast, lunch, dinner, breakfast and lunch before going home, to come back the next morning to eat the same thing for the next 36hrs.
I think everybody agrees, that at least a hot meal should be provided.... well if that means eating mice... then that is another question...
You can forget about that. Police and AFM don't have REAL unions and can't strike!
IF you're a member or a former member you can remember the measly bread bun that is given on some election day for your 16 hour (or more) shift looking after the door of some politician or some party club. First point: why the 16hour shift; second point: Why look after the door of a single individual (sometimes even a multi-convicted criminal!) while another few thousand honest citizens have no one to turn to?
However will this allowance be given to other people who work shifts in the civil service, or are these just the few privileged people who are going to get it?
what about the AFM, the police, the detention services etc. Are they going to get similar allowances?
IN A FEW WORDS ONCE THE PACKET OF VEG HAS BEEN OPENED NO USE BLAMEING THE VEG PRODUCER
Why can't you buy your own food from somewhere else? Or take your own food from home? St.Lukes Hospital and Mount Carmel Hospital were equipped with a microwave oven in every ward... guess Mater Dei, our great state of the ART hospital offers the same, so... a packet of cereal and milk for your breakfast, some packed lunch from home, like I take with me to the office, some fruits for snacks and some dinner to heat in a microwave... guess that 7€ would be more than enough!!
The origin of the frozen vegetables is given as Belgium.
I AM AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO AT A WEDDING AND EVEN KNOW WHO IS THE CATERER
AT THAT TIME ALL CHEFS AND KITCHEN STAFF WERE DISMISSED BY THE CATERER TO SHIFT THE BLAME ON THEM
HOWEVER THE CATERER IS AT THE END IS FINNALLY RESPONSIBLE AND A CHEFS JOB IS TO COOK NOT CHASE PESTS IN THE KITCHENS
ALSO MANY PLACES I WORKED WERE AWARE OF THE PEST PROBLEM BUT SOME OWNERS STILL REFUSEDTO SPEND MONEY ON PEST CONTROL
ALSO PESTS APPEAR MOSTLY AT NIGHT AND WHEN YOU PUT THE LIGHT ON YOU WILL THAN SEE THEM
HAVING BEEN WORKING AS A CHEF IN MALTA FOR 25 YEARS I KNOW WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT
COCKROACHES RATS AND MICE ARE COMMON EVEN IN 5 STAR HOTELS
ALSO THE CHEF REMAINS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOOD HE SERVES
I FIND ALOT OF WORMS AMONG FRESH VEG SO I SERVE IT AND BLAME THE MALTESE FARMERS?
YES PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ITS QUALIFIED SHOULD NOT OWN OR WORK IN CATERING
Can all shift workers be treated the same please????
and people wIthout TS DIPLOMAS should not have a business in catering
May I assure you that Iappreciate all the work you do with us as patients and on behalf of all, I THANK YOU wholeheartedly. But again the choice of your career was not capriciously imposed on you and the government does not force you to work shifts. This goes as part and parcel with the profession you have chosen on you own accord. Well, a parcel of initiatives, allowances ........ and much more.
For your info I know more about the hospital than you think. I have worked there for 3 years before the official opening and still am a sub-contractor to date. Again for your info, you are moaning about Euro 7 that the government has given you as an allowance (immediate effect) while I have pending invoices for work which I have already done months ago and still didn’t get paid for whilst I had to buy equipment to do the work from my pocket. A lot of other sub-contractors have the same problem but these things never crop up.
Also, if you are a doctor (which I doubt), those are the conditions which you accepted and for which you have quite a good remuneration. I do appreciate the long hours which doctors are exposed to apart from the type of people which they have to face on a daily basis but every job on this world has got its pros and cons but at least you get your wage. Myself, I had to waver my wage for the past two months only because the government is practically leading me to bankruptcy.
One should also consider doing away with perks such as company and corporation cars plus fuel and giving out a monetary allowance to eligible employees instead. This would help reduce car fuel waste and traffic congestion as well as enhance road safety and air quality.
Casual observation shows that workers who have free company cars and fuel tend to use their cars even when they could just as effectively use public transport or walk. Besides, many such perk beneficiaries tend to leave the car engine running while waiting for somebody and/or queuing at a cash dispensing machine – even if this is against the law as well as a safety hazard - since the monetary cost of the wasted fuel does not seem to cross their minds because their own purses are not effected. Unfortunately, several people consider practically nothing else apart from their own money in their own pocket/bank account.
Ministers should consider this idea and not bow to pressure from car importers and car hire companies who presently rent out cars to government corporations and departments.
with all due respect to the hospital staff. Police officers work shifts much worse than the hospital with some of them working as much as 60 hours per week (without getting paid for overtime) and not only do they not get any food allowance but many times they are left for 12 hour straight guarding the door of some spoilt big head who thinks he is in danger because someone yelled at him.
And don't let anyone tell you that its not true. Ask them about the SAG shift, the detention service police shift, the dog section shift and many more. These people work on a day, night ,rest shift (yes... without an off day) with each shift being 12 hours. On average this amounts to between 50 and 60 hours per week. They do not even get one cent for the extra hour. Where are the EU workers' rights?
It's about time that the government decides to reform the civil service conditions.
Are you aware that young doctors (house men & SHOs) work straight 36 hours shifts for 2 to 3 times a week? I guess a snack won't be enough hux? PS they also work on Christmas, New year, public holidays, sundays.... so
....perhaps it is because doctors are the only government workers forced to work shifts frequently in excess of 30 hours straddling weekends and public holidays, and without being paid overtime for the extra hours.
Next time you or your kin pay a visit to Mater Dei; perhaps in pain or fearing for your health; please keep in mind that the bleary eyed doctor on whom you now so much depend has probably been awake and at work since the day before; is having to work (i.e. put up with all sorts of abusive patients and relatives) for over 90 hours every week and all this for a pittance.
You might then appreciate that your well-being depends much on the self sacrifice and good will of a few who will care about you notwithstanding the hindrances that get thrown at them by their employer (or his contractors).
Pls shut up and thank the tax payer for the 7 euros. You are the only public servants receiving allowance for your lunch besides other generous allowances which are not available to other public serrvants.
If I’m not mistaken you are only charged about Euro 70 on a yearly basis in order to be served food three times a day when you have a 12 hour shift so I believe that being given a Euro 7 allowance daily until the situation is resolved is quite fair.
Why do you have to go buy the food from a canteen? Can't you use the Euro 7 to buy something from a grocer before going to work like most of the workers elsewhere do?
2 questions:
How can somebody have lunch, breakfast and dinner on 7 euro.
There is only one place to spend the 7 euro - the same caterer......or are we supposed to leave the hospital to buy food?
It seems we are putting our eggs in one basket; we have only few professional caterers the rest are building contractors , with no food at heart but only food in stomach. Not easy to supply food to airline, Mater Dei, elderly homes, Zammit Clapp Boffa, Karin Grech, Weddings, Political parties etc. You have to be a superman. Lefts over’s fly from one place to the other. Lets avoid an inconvenience accident and revise what we are doing. I know well what I am saying because I see it every day.