Saturday, 11th October 2008
Sensible recommendations
The Church commission recommendations on Budget 2009, published recently by the Curia, should be studied seriously by the government and those that are of benefit to the public and not difficult to implement should be taken on board.
The nominal fee on medicines distributed free of charge could save the government thousands of euros because many irresponsibly waste pills and medicines which they hoard without ever getting to use before the expiry date. The 50c fee introduced by the Labour Party when in government was a good idea and should not have been withdrawn; but politics overrule what is right and sensible.
Another good idea is that of levying a fee on those holding private health insurance. I would go further and add that all those who are well-off should pay part of the expense of, say, a serious operation. Otherwise, how can the health system survive and remain sustainable and care for all those who cannot afford to pay?
It doesn't make sense to offer all services for free - even to the well off - when there are so many people below the poverty line who need so many things health-wise and which cannot be provided to them.
If the government can save money through such measures proposed by the Church commission, it can start, at least on a pilot scheme, to screen all women at risk and who are prone to breast cancer.
Another very valid recommendation is that of revising the minimum wage. All those who depend on such a meagre salary know that a family cannot make ends meet and live decently without resorting to some kind of other extra work.
But the most logical idea to cut on the long waiting list at Mater Dei Hospital is to seek the help of private hospitals especially for operations for which one has to wait for many years.
Some of the above suggestions were already made in the past by prominent people and letter writers in the dailies.
The Church commission's recommendations make sense and I cannot find any reason why the government should not accept to implement them at least gradually although the question of the waiting list at Mater Dei Hospital cannot wait any longer and should be tackled immediately.
The government spends our tax money on many services and projects. Some are well spent; others go down the drain either because the project was a white elephant or because it didn't work out as originally planned.
Money spent to improve our health is never a waste. So the government should start thinking and deciding without losing any more time and introduce, at least from this budge,t a number of services.
As far as I know, this is a breakthrough in that the Church is giving its opinion on certain contentious subjects and this is very positive and welcome.
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Comments
Obviously, whether the Church or any of its commissions had any right to enter into this sort of debacle, is another point. Many are still of the opinion that the Church in Malta has every right to pronounce itself on any point; yet, these same people would then be against the Church being criticised left, right and centre, as it should be, too.
As for the Private Health, one must realise that if holders of such Schemes are made to pay for medical services, this will only result in an increase in premiums paid.
The Church Commission's suggestions together with those of other contributors can only be seen as tools in trying to facilitate the Government's 'intended' measures in the forthcoming budget!
Another thing is that once a minumum fee is imposed, such fee should not start crawling up but should be left untouched.