'Waiting too long for operations'

Patients suffering from broken bones were having to wait for days before being operated on, Labour health spokesman Michael Farrugia said.

He claimed there had even been patients who ended up with bedsores because of the delays in surgery, and complications led to the operation being postponed.

"This is leading to patients spending a longer time in hospital. If operations were carried out earlier, beds would be freed and could be used by other patients," he said in a statement.

Dr Farrugia was referring to a recent call by Health Parliamentary Secretary Joe Cassar to relatives of patients recovering from operations, yet able to leave hospital, to care for them at home so they could free up needed hospital beds.

"It would have been better for Dr Cassar to make sure the necessary measures are being taken to manage the hospital more efficiently," he said.

Dr Farrugia said that when Mater Dei Hospital opened, the government had pledged not to allow beds to be taken up by social cases. However, "tens of social cases" were currently taking up beds because of lack of alternatives.

According to well-informed sources, the number of blocked beds shot up to 130 last Wednesday, double the normal 65, he added.