UPDATE 2: MAM reports contacts through an intermediary

Updated 3.45 p.m.

The MAM has reported ongoing contacts with the government over its dispute over the shortage of doctors in health centres, but no breakthrough has been achieved yet.

The MAM this morning launched industrial action by directing doctors who normally work at the Qormi, Cospicua and Rabat health centres to report for work in other health centres.

MAM president Martin Balzan this morning said the response had been a complete success, adding that the MAM had warned the Social policy Ministry that intimidation against its members had to stop.

Contacted this afternoon, Dr Balzan said contacts with the ministry were continuing.

"We are continuing contacts through an intermediary who has been involved for the past two to three days, but I cannot report progress so far," Dr Balzan said.

The directives were issued after the MAM complained that a long-standing shortage of doctors in health centres had not been solved. Social Policy Minister John Dalli last week acknowledged the shortage but insisted doctors also needed to improve productivity through better work practices.

The MAM ordered the doctors at Qormi, Cospicua and Rabat health centres to instead work at Mosta, Floriana and Paola health centres. The directive also affected Gzira health centre, where doctors will only work in the morning.

The MAM in a statement this morning said it welcomed comments by Dr Josie Muscat and Capua Hospital that they did not wish to be involved in the dispute.

The union said the government had informed it that plans for night services to be given from St James/Capua hospitals in lieu of the health centres had been suspended.

The union said it was awaiting positive government proposals for its actions to be suspended.

Meanwhile, the Social Policy Ministry this morning published a latter sent to the MAM last night by the Director-General of Health. He said that the ministry had developed two scenarios for the deployment of doctors across the primary health department.

The first scenario considered existing work practices while the second considered the centralisation of home visits using a central pool of doctors and shift of all prescriptions (yellow and pink cards) from health centres to bereg (health offices) with the consequential deployment of additional doctors to the health offices.

Dr Cachia said that in the interest of avoiding undue hardship to patients, the government was suspending the implementation of its plans for a week, in the hope that the MAM would show goodwill and suspend its directives so that the issue could be taken to conciliation where the two scenarios could be studied in detail.

EP candidate voices concern

Concern at the situation developing between the Medical Association of Malta and the government was expressed by Nationalist MEP candidate Frank Portelli.

Dr Portelli urged MAM to consider the Prime Minister’s plea during the PN general council meeting yesterday. The Prime Minister had said that the government was prepared to compromise in order to resolve the situation.

"Disputes involving the medical sector invariably hurt patients and therefore all sides should do their utmost to resolve these matters around a discussion table and thus avoiding industrial actions In the circumstances. If necessary, a mediator should be found to act as a go between the government and MAM," he added.

Dr Portelli said that the ultimate aim of doctors and the government was to alleviate pain and suffering and not to increase them.