There are other health centres too

Minister John Dalli has told the public that the he was not pleased with the state of affairs at the Gżira health centre and that it was unwelcoming not only to persons with disability. He is definitely right about that and I wonder why the previous ministers have never noticed this before. However, I do suggest that Mr Dalli pays a visit to the other health centres and checks out if they are welcoming to the public!

A couple of months ago we had the billboards set up asking the public if they really required treatment at Mater Dei Hospital and that the casualty department at Mater Dei was not coping with the influx of people going there for treatment. However, I think it was no surprise to anyone that people were going directly to Mater Dei to receive treatment instead of other places. First because the place is modern, new and free and surely more welcoming than the health centres and secondly because most of the time people are referred from the health centres to Mater Dei anyway since the centres are not equipped to deal with every type of emergency.

A new hospital was built, a new oncology department is planned and the Gżira Health Centre might be shifted to Zammit Clapp Hospital but what about the other health centres? Will these ever be modernised? Will these be better equipped? Will these be made more welcoming to the public?

By the way, what exactly is an "emergency?" Fever may be an emergency to some...and not an emergency to others. Guidelines on when to go to a health centre or Mater Dei's casualty department will surely help the public, the doctors and Mr Dalli himself.