Editorial

Solving the waiting time at Mater Dei Hospital's Emergency Department is a tough nut to crack, also because it is a Catch 22 situation. The better the facilities and the speedier the service the higher the number of patients attracted there.

Reports of people taking long hours to be seen at Emergency, or Casualty, continue to pour in. Even the health authorities have now acknowledged this. The other day, two doctors' associations criticised the lack of manpower at the Emergency Department but also in health centres.

The Medical Association of Malta noted that the number of patients at health centres was on the rise as the doctor complement shrunk. The Għaqda Maltija tat-Tobba għall-Emerġenza (Maltese Association of Emergency Doctors) reported that the situation at the Emergency Department had deteriorated.

Most of the problems in hospital, including the situation at Emergency and the long waiting lists, have been accumulating over the years. So the government has a lot to answer for. But so do other stakeholders, including doctors and nurses. The public too has its fair share of responsibilities to shoulder by way of lack of cooperation and abusing the system.

The MAM revealed that a few days ago it made proposals to the health authorities aimed at improving the situation at health centres. According to its president, such suggestions were constructive and should improve the delivery of service if implemented.

It does not seem the proposals have been published, so one cannot evaluate them. By a better delivery service, patients would certainly understand more user-friendly health centres, less bureaucracy and more eager staff whose disposition to serve will result in fewer people opting to or being forced to go to Emergency.

Alas, patients are faced with a situation whereby, on the one hand, there is a government that is evidently cash-strapped. On the other hand, medics' and paramedics' unions continue to place their members before their patients.

One need only consider the following to understand that not all may be doing what they preach.

The health authorities have issued a call for applications for the appointment of a chairman and two consultants at Emergency. This affords the possibility to those who are so vociferous calling for solutions to roll up their sleeves and do something about it.

There has also been a call for GPs to assist in Casualty. Yet, only nine applied. There is strength in numbers and the more there are the lighter the workload is likely to be.

There have also been attempts to have doctors at Surgery and Medicine assist those in Casualty. This can serve to ease the pressure on Emergency Department doctors, provided all pull at the same rope.

Finally, one wonders whether the health authorities have ever thought of restructuring the health centres service, consolidating what is available and maximising the use of doctors. Why not conduct a study, together with medics' associations, to find out whether there are lean periods where health centre doctors can be assigned duties at Casualty?

The diagnosis has long been made and the ailments must be clear to all. What matters now is that treatment is applied. That would demand a team effort: the health authorities, medics and paramedics. Rather than stoppages and disruptions, it is action that will make for a better health service all round.