MUMN urges government to engage foreign nurses

The Malta Union of Nurses said today that there was an urgent need for foreign nurses to be attracted to work in Malta since this was the key for the growth of health services in Malta.

In a statement to mark the International Day of Nursing, the MUMN said one of the challenges which Malta was facing was the provision of enough beds for the elderly and for social cases. This issue, it said, was creating pressure on the administration of health services and on the nurses at Mater Dei Hospital and St Vincent de Paule Home.

The government's decision to open more wards for the elderly was a step in the right direction and it was important that, every year, a substantial number of beds was provided so that pressures could be eased.

"The MUMN acknowledges that the shortage of nurses creates challenges for the government to open more wards for the elderly. The urgent need for foreign nurses to come to work in Malta should be an absolute priority of the government since this is the key for the further development of health services in the country," the union said.

It said the current shortage of nurses was endangering the level of care. Nurses were making major sacrifices but this was having an impact on their physical and psychological health, the union said.

It said another challenge facing the country was to reform primary health care. This was needed in order to offer better services to patients and to ease pressure on Mater Dei

It also called for more opportunities to enable nurses to specialise in their various fields.