Matthew Xuereb
Social Policy Minister promises 'revolution' at Mater Dei Hospital
Social Policy Minister John Dalli yesterday pledged a "revolution" at Mater Dei Hospital, aimed at tackling the growing problem with waiting lists for operations.
Addressing a political activity in Mellieħa, Mr Dalli said the government is working on a plan to organise the hospital better and ensure a sustainable healthcare system.
"It's not easy but we have to do things differently. We have to change old work practices. At the moment we are analysing how much everything is costing the country and where the medicines are going.
We have to change our mentality. We have a state-of-the-art hospital with doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals giving a great service. The revolution is being done keeping the interests of the patients in mind," he said.
His words come on the back of a damning report by the Ombudsman who said that waiting lists remain "shrouded by a thick veil of unaccountable criteria" and pointed his finger at consultants who maintain a stranglehold on the way operations are scheduled.
Questions about the report sent to Mr Dalli by The Times have so far remained unanswered. However, yesterday he focused primarily on this issue, saying that his ministry is working on establishing a structure of accountability. He said the waiting lists do not make sense and the government cannot tolerate a situation whereby no system exists indicating where medicines are going.
The Times reported last June that, despite the new infrastructure, the hospital had no centralised statistics for waiting lists and the Social Policy Ministry said it was working on the problem. When asked again last month it admitted that the system was still not in place. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, also speaking in Mellieħa, said the country's economy was weathering the financial and economic crisis.
He said there is no room for complacency and the country should not fear making somewhat painful decisions which can serve it well once the situation improves.
The economy had some good news last week, including the increased investment in Smart-City and the quick take-up of the Midi bonds. But the government is monitoring developments every day, knowing that weak demand in other countries is affecting factories in Malta.
Dr Gonzi said the government is also concerned about weakening economies abroad, such as in the UK, and the impact they might have on tourism in Malta. Ryanair's announcement of two new routes to UK airports was good news to Malta, he added.
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michelle cutajar
Jul 19th 2009, 13:15
BIH THANKS 2 ALL D STUFF OF MATERDEI HOSPITAL 4 THE FABULOUS CARE THEY HAVE AND BIG THANKS WHAT U DID WITH ME and AMAZING service, AND 2 LOTS OF OTHERS THAT U FACE LOTS EVERYDAY CNT THANK U ENOUGH
chris Borg
Jan 20th 2009, 08:23
Couldn't this revolution be planned during the decade or so that it took to build the hospital?
michael fenech
Jan 19th 2009, 18:30
@ Paul Borg.
How is it that these top executives at Mater Dei, who were responsible to implement new working practices in this new hospital and grossly failed, are still occupying their positions??
Because in Malta nobody is accountabale for their mistake.
N Borg
Jan 19th 2009, 17:59
Wishing you good luck in your ambitions, Mr Minister. I already see a change of tone in the respect (or lack of it) that was shown in your early days when you referred to hospital workers as part timers. Maybe there was some truth in that in the sense that the pay of a hospital specialist is what one would expect to make from a part time job. Solution: improve working conditions, make them at least as good as what our competitor countries are offering, and then start looking for solutions. Unless this is done, you will not find the right people to work with, if anything, people will not have their minds at rest working in Malta and start looking for jobs abroad from day one. After all, hospital jobs are an international market, and if you want to compete for the best people, you have to attract them with good pay and conditions. Once again, good luck ;-)
lgalea
Jan 19th 2009, 17:17
Paul Borg
Professionals built the Titanic.
Amateurs built the Ark.
rene joseph
Jan 19th 2009, 12:43
It is funny to see how the PN is both the solution and the problem.
Byron Camilleri
Jan 19th 2009, 12:15
What a huge loss for Malta having Gonzi instead of Dalli as a PM. He's the only PN politician capable of admitting problems.
Problems can only be solved if admitted. By thinking you are perfect, you will remain in the same horrible state.
EGauci
Jan 19th 2009, 10:58
"At the moment we are analysing how much everything is costing the country and where the medicines are going"
1. All you need to do is report to hospital or polyclinic as a regular Maltese citizen (Paola clinic springs to mind).. you'll get your answer
"We have to change our mentality. We have a state-of-the-art hospital with doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals giving a great service. The revolution is being done keeping the interests of the patients in mind," he said."
2. Maybe I'm living in another planet - or maybe it's not I???
Paul Borg
Jan 19th 2009, 10:57
What about the Administration of Mater Dei? How is it that these top executives at Mater Dei, who were responsible to implement new working practices in this new hospital and grossly failed, are still occupying their positions??
philip pace
Jan 19th 2009, 10:31
I sincerely hope and auger well that Mr.Dalli would untie this Gordian knot.
But, hoping not to sound negative but being a realist this Mater Dei project and be taken as an Achilles heel or a white elephant due to the badly planning involved, commissions paid, super inflated costings and other thousand things not mentioned in public.
The tasks involved to prove Dr.Gonzi statement when this hospital opened are enormous and titantic.
A year ago I wrote about the lack of a water dispenser, the laid back attitude of the receptionist and some wrote against what I experienced. That was just the tip of the iceberg.
How many letters, articles, statements have been made since then?
A year has passed and the problems with this unbelievable and the most expensive hospital in the whole planet still make the news.
Very lethargic.
Godfrey Galea
Jan 19th 2009, 10:28
yea yeah yeah....
Anthony Mercieca
Jan 19th 2009, 10:11
Mr. Dalli's intervention kindles the hope of all patients waiting to be treated for whatever medical intervention is needed. No doubt the medical "market" is contributing to this frustrating situation of long waiting lists. Obviously there might be those who are gaining from this situation and such will definitely resist change. The solution apart from accountability should be incentives. While accountability would provide statistics of / for efficiency, this might not always lead to effectiveness, or worse bureaucracy will overshadow delivery. While I am not that close to the medical "market", it would definitely make sense that whoever effectively performs to solve this situation is acknowledged and rewarded.
H DEMPSTER
Jan 19th 2009, 10:04
Mr Dalli seems to be the only PN politician who has his head on his shoulders and does things the proper way, the way he sees them and clearly and distinctly does not bother what other people think of what he says, as long as what he says is right. I have always known him as a person who says if a thing is blue he says it is blue and if it is red he also says it.
Keep the good work Mr Dalli and say what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong.