Ariadne Massa
Sexual health policy, one of Budget's casualties
The national sexual health policy seems destined for sterility after it was withdrawn from the 2010 Budget, snuffing the Social Policy Ministry's plans to deliver it.
The third and latest version of the policy, finalised earlier this year, "had to be included" in this year's Budget and Minister John Dalli has no idea why plans changed.
Asked if there were any real intentions to inject life into this policy, which has been in gestation since 1999, Mr Dalli said: "Don't ask me. I did what I had to do".
When contacted, a Finance Ministry spokesman said every ministry presented its shopping list before the Budget but it was impossible to include everything.
"It is all a matter of choices and priorities and I stress that in no way am I saying the national sexual health policy is not a priority. Most of the ministries' proposals were taken on board but it's impossible to implement each one," the spokesman said.
Philip Carabot, Genitourinary Clinic consultant, had also been "given to understand" that the policy would be included in the Budget, so this was the latest setback.
"I'm very disappointed. I was hoping after 10 years something would finally happen," he said, preferring not to comment further.
Meanwhile, asked what the future held for this controversial policy, Mr Dalli said: "I read the final Budget the same way you did last night (Monday) and now I'm going to go through it to see if we can reapportion funds within our ministry".
However, finding the money would not be easy because if the policy's comprehensive action plan was executed as proposed, it would require an injection of "hundreds of thousands of euros" if it were to be effective, sources said.
In this present economic climate, the policy failed to make it on the list of the government's concerns and when asked if it remained a priority, Mr Dalli snapped back: "It is a priority, as are the waiting lists; the medicines that people will die without... For some it may be a bigger priority than others. For the minister the priorities are very different".
He added: "You write a lot of stuff in the newspaper because you are pushing your agenda or someone else's. Quote me on this! You have to be responsible because the agenda of the country is different than the agenda of individuals".
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J Farrugia
Nov 12th 2009, 08:37
malta cannot satisfy all its children. What this consultant wants is impossible to achieve right now. Maybe some other time like it was with the breast cancer clinic. It was done but after many years. But we cannot stamp our feet down because we could not get it right now. The country has its priorities (rightly or wrongly) and that's that and the budget will not change for those who have agendas of their own. No we wont have liberal campaigns ad hoc. There is a policy which is to be followed by one and all, be they what they are.
Gerry Cowie
Nov 11th 2009, 20:11
And Ramon Casha's point is?
Usual one line sarcasm.
Why not say something constructive if you want people to be influenced by what you say?
Why the throwaway comment?
How sad!
B Galea
Nov 11th 2009, 16:51
I suppose the government figured it might as well sub-contract the work to Vodafone. How stupid....and this quote "It is all a matter of choices and priorities and I stress that in no way am I saying the national sexual health policy is not a priority." So what exactly is the Finance Ministry saying then?
D. A . Agius
Nov 11th 2009, 16:01
Yes, why spend hundreds of thousands of euros? let the kids young and old have all the activity they want. That way doctors are paid in fees, professors get paid and the wheel goes round.
And most importantly, we don't rock the boat, we keep church voters happy and we win another election, during whose celebrations the kids young and old have some more action, spreading more disease and let's have the wheel going round again.
MOst important: THe parliament gets moved. More important to have the nice glass in place so that we can look transparent. On each slab of glass they can then write: We spent this money to buy this glass pane, but we did not find the same amount of money to spend on educating or preventing diseases.
This is the monument to our idiotic politics and politicians and our democracy. A new parliament and lots of STD's.
M Vella
Nov 11th 2009, 13:37
.. e la madre dell'ignoranza e sempre incinta. My commiserations to the department of health educators what a way to motivate them.
Eric Gahn
Nov 11th 2009, 11:40
Who can blame the government? Considering the current economical climate and the cost of rubber being over Eur80.00 per kilo, if the Govt were to implement a Sexual Health Policy now it would be duty bound to distibute free condoms to every household.
Paul Barrett
Nov 11th 2009, 11:01
You have to get your priorities right. It has got to be more important to build (or rent) a new Parliament and build a bridge to nowhere than it is to waste tax payers money on STD's and a Sexual Health Policy.
Just ban all and any sexual activity (or tax it) and there would not be a problem.
Ramon Casha
Nov 11th 2009, 10:51
The government is still waiting for the Vatican's approval.
Chris Borg
Nov 11th 2009, 09:40
This is just fantastics. Notice the way my tongue just rolled into my cheek just now. So with STI's rising all over the world, Malta is the one country which doesn't care. Brilliant. Give that much money to the immigrants so that they can send it back home, and don't invest any of the 35% taxes which I pay each month to safeguarding the health of our country! This country has already gone to the dogs... Resign!