Juan Ameen
Fewer calls for ambulances as people heed appeal
There were fewer calls for ambulances yesterday as drivers embarked on industrial action ordered on Wednesday.
No call was ignored as the instructions issued to the drivers was to stay put only if they were not accompanied by a doctor or nurse, the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin said.
The health authorities' appeal for people to call for an ambulance only if absolutely needed appeared to have left its mark. The union's health services section secretary Joseph Bonello said when asked that there had been fewer calls for ambulances although he would not give a figure.
The union called the action in a dispute which revolves around a claim that ambulance drivers at St Luke's Hospital are being favoured at the expense of those employed at Mater Dei Hospital.
The Social Policy Ministry did not reply to questions sent to them about the dispute.
The action by drivers follows a threat on Monday by the Malta Unions of Midwives and Nurses to call a strike among nurses working in operating theatres. The surgery standstill was averted after the union's main request to have nurses supplied with protective gowns was temporarily met.
Nurses have been provided with disposable gowns for major operations and are using water repellent gowns, which have to be treated again after 20 washes, for minor operations.
The union's requests for gowns were solely for the safety of the nurses and the patients, Mr Pace said.
Theatre nurses were also ordered to refuse any patients who did not sign a consent form before an operation while nurses in the endoscopy unit were also instructed not to wash any instruments.
This follows union requests, which it said were also ignored, to have care workers and health assistants assigned this task.
The nurses' union would issue further directives to nurses in other wards in the near future as many issues remained pending, Mr Pace said.
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ACauchi
Apr 18th 2009, 10:05
Quote "The appeal for people to call for an ambulance only if absolutely needed appeared to have left its mark". Its time that this appeal is taken into consideration not only because when there is an industrial action but also all year round. Its not the first time ambulances are called for non urgent matters and used by some of the public more as a taxi than as a means of transport than can save a life.
Think twice before calling for an ambulance or even calling 112 as there might be someone in more dire need if immediate help than you.
d briffa
Apr 18th 2009, 09:36
i think that such articles really make you stop and reflect..
with all these industrial action going on and threats of new actions every day from every sector of workers at materdei.. it is obvious that this is a result of the total chaos that exists within the management..
Minister Dalli.. when are you going to start taking this issue seriously..
GaleaL
Apr 17th 2009, 12:21
This is the usual stance taken by the government where it tries to sweep all problems under the carpet hoping that they will go away, while the same thing is done to collective agreements where it takes years on end to implement perhaps a part of it. And they want us to believe that the PN is a workers government!
Joseph E Briffa
Apr 17th 2009, 10:52
What are the Health authorities waiting for to solve the problem? What's come over them? Why aren't they keeping their part of the bargain? Why are they waiting till matters come to a head to take action? This is now becoming a pattern. Why, may I ask? The UHM are reasonable people to deal with and if I know them do not ask their members to resort to strike action unless it is the last resort. In the past the top Health people always rose to the occasion and came out with flying colours. They were pro-active and did not have to wait for Unions to coax them into action. So, why this?