Updated: Government invites MAM to refer dispute to conciliation

(Adds MAM's reaction)

The government has invited the Medical Association of Malta to refer its dispute on the shortage of doctors to conciliation.

In a reply, MAM said it would consider an attempt at conciliation only once it was clear that the government had adopted a more flexible negotiating approach.

The MAM has ordered doctors not to work in three health centres as from Monday.

The association is taking action over its complaint that although it has been calling on the authorities to concentrate human resources in fewer clinics as a short-term measure to alleviate the shortage of doctors, no such action has been taken.

The Health Ministry had given MAM until 4 p.m. to say whether or not it agreed with the proposal, saying it did not want the public to suffer unnecessarily.

MAM said it was clear that maintaining the status quo would not lead to good standards of patient care.

"For this reason MAM is inviting the Health Division to come forward with new proposals where the extent of the services to be delivered by the current manpower is realistically achievable.

"MAM will then decide whether such a proposal could form a good basis for the conciliation process to be proceeded with," it said.