Updated: Patients should be central to health care policy - minister
Mr Dalli addressing the GWU conference. Photo: DOI, Jeremy Wonnacott
(Adds MAM's reaction)
The health care system has been rotating around the needs of those who provided the service and not around the needs of patients, Social Policy Minister John Dalli said this afternoon.
Addressing the annual general meeting of the Pensioners’ Association of the General Workers’ Union, the minister said everyone knew what happened when he tried to shift doctors working in quiet shifts to busier ones. The doctors went on strike because they were more comfortable working the night shift.
Mr Dalli said that this change was just the tip of the iceberg but although it was not easy, he would continue insisting that changes took place.
“The government is not running a business for profit, we have to work for shorter queues and waiting lists for a better service.,” he said, adding that Malta had one of the best health care services in the world.
In a statement issued this evening, the Medical Association of Malta expressed its satisfaction on the positive appreciation of the work of the medical profession, in particular family doctors at health centres, by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi last wednesday but said that Mr Dalli had a completely different point of view.
All doctors were finding Mr Dalli's view "deeply offensive and most unfair".
"This confrontational attitude singling out the mediccal profession does not augur well fo the future of the health service," they said.
On pensions, the minister said that one could not allow people on a pension to live at risk of poverty after working a whole lifetime.
However, a clear balance had to be made between providing a good quality of life and not burdening the employees with taxes to sustain the pension system.
The government forked out €1,250 million for social services. This amounted to 43 percent of the country’s entire expenditure.
A lot needed to be improved but changes could be made to provide a better service without increasing taxes.
GWU general secretary Tony Zarb said it was not fair that people who could afford private health service made use of this while others had to wait on long lists. Solutions could be found if the problem was discussed and a plan was drawn up.
On medicine prices, he said these should reflect the standard of living. The price of medicine in the EU was much lower than in Malta, he said.
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Dr Francis Saliba
Jun 8th 2009, 12:01
An excellent national health service "that is free at the point of delivery" conceals the fact that such a health service is bound to be unacceptably expensive everywhere else i.e. at the tax collection level. Only a blinkered fool would deny that there is extensive unbridled wastage on the part of many patients and of some prescribers. In some cases this is politically motivated sabotage, in others an attempt to attract patients to the private practice of dishonest prescribers and sometimes it is a mixture of both.
The genuine needy patients suffer because of unofficial "rationing" of the supply of free medicines when these become frequently and temporarily "not available". The majority of honest doctors suffer by the loss of patients to overly generous prescribers. All taxpayers suffer because of increased tax demands.
Dr Michael Farrugia
Jun 7th 2009, 13:12
I can't understand why my speech and replies to comments from the floor at the conference were completely ignored! I criticised where I felt Government needed to be criticised, made proposals, and, because I feel the patient should come first, I proposed to the minister to discuss policies re Health and that if we agree we can work together towards an urgently needed reform in the health sector...under one condition; that the health services are for free at point of delivery
Chris Farrugia
Jun 6th 2009, 07:27
@cynthia busuttil
where do u cut the line? Truth is that medicine is the real evidence-based route which will improve or save one's condition. The health care system is not sustainable as it is. It gets on my nerves when both political parties accuse each other of trying to introduce health fees. The system can't go on like this! Fees have to be introduced. Having a free health care system doesn't mean having it COMPLETELY free. I have seen elderly people stocking years and years of expensive medicine in their cabinet. Every month they keep collecting their medicines at no cost but refuse to take it. Why do they still keep collecting it? Cos if they stop they will loose the right to collect them. Introduce a small fee with each prescription and watch as the queue grows shorter.
Dr Francis Saliba
Jun 5th 2009, 22:44
Let us all wish the Hon John Dalli success at the Herculean task of trying to provide a better health service whilst, at the same time, reducing its cost. The general perception is that there is failure on both counts. This is not surprising. It is proverbial that one cannot have the cake and eat it and evidently there is a limit to the amount of juice one can squeeze out of a lemon. Making scapegoats of doctors, chemists or patients and reducing the nation's health services to a political football will not solve anything. It only creates grievances where unselfish co-operation is absolutely essential. Politics is the science of achieving whatever is possible. Our political masters must stop bickering and instead they should establish the right priorities according to the tax burden we must carry.
c.t. busuttil
Jun 5th 2009, 19:32
One solution could be to mobilise ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE such as acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy and so many others that are available here at a cost to private patients. We do not need to rely solely on medical Drs or medicine but the State needs to lead the way by providing and subsidizing these other professional services thus reducing the dependence on the medical profession.
H.Calleja
Jun 5th 2009, 16:39
From the look of things,healthcare unfortunately is in the hands of people with very little scruples. Many doctors are in full control of the situation and they do their best to profitise in all sorts of manners at the expense of their clients without any consideration to the patients' resources. The same goes to some pharmacutical agencies who increase prices without considering if the patient is in a position to pay huge prices for necessary and urgent needs. Mr.Dalli should continue to solve these issues that have been going for ages. He should have everybody's support and brush off any threats from doctors and the pharmacutical cartel
Chrissey Galea
Jun 5th 2009, 15:25
Of course the medicine,s in other EU countries are cheaper than Malta, I have never known such high prices for medicine,s as Malta.Mr Dalli do something about it to help the health of your citizens. Prevention is better cure . How are the Maltese citizens expected to pay these absurd prices. a lot are too frightened to go to the Dr,s because they can,t afford the medication perscribed so they suffer. You need to have a healthy country. So get the prices lowered. Or better still put a cap on the prices the chemists charge.