Italy agrees to treat Maltese patients

Patients receiving treatment that is not available in Malta could start being sent to Italy, following an agreement signed yesterday.

The majority of patients who need specialised treatment not available here are sent to the UK, with which the island has a long-standing agreement. But, yesterday, the authorities made what Social Policy Minister John Dalli described as a "very important step forward" by way of a four-year memorandum of understanding with Italy focusing on emergency and highly-intensive care, organ donation and transplantation, neoplastic and cardiovascular disease.

"So far, collaboration in the medical field has been directed only at the UK. Now, this agreement is opening up the possibility of real cooperation with Italy," Mr Dalli said after the signing of the memorandum with Italian Health Minister Ferrucio Fazio.

He pointed out that Italy had advanced tremendously in the medical field.

The agreement looks at exchanging research material and epidemiological information, assessments of new medicines and emerging health technologies and policies on their use in the health sector.

It also looks at an increased exchange of expertise, especially in the education field.

The two ministers discussed cooperation on a Mediterranean level to try and prevent diseases predominant in the area, including Thalassaemia and certain cancers.

"We can exchange experiences in the prevention of both oncol-ogy and cardiovascular disease," Dr Fazio said, expressing his certainty that there could be "very fruitful exchanges".

He said Italy was prepared to help Malta in the organisation of the national health system, particularly in assessing how the system was functioning and by looking at the relationship between the public and the private sector.

Health Parliamentary Secretary Joe Cassar showed Dr Fazio around Mater Dei Hospital. The two visited the Catheterisation Lab, the Medical Imaging Department and the Intensive Therapy Unit, which, according to the Anaesthesia Department head Joseph Zarb Adami, sees about 1,000 patients every year. In the first six months of the year, the mortality rate stood at 20.5 per cent, down from last year's 25 per cent.