The Health Ministry is seeking to recruit between 200 and 300 foreign nurses to solve the "crisis" resulting from the shortage in the sector.

Some operating theatres at Mater Dei Hospital have had to remain closed because the human resources are lacking, said the Parliamentary Secretary for Community Care, Mario Galea about the recruitment drive.

In recent months, the health authorities embarked on a campaign to entice more students to consider taking up nursing, but the profession is competing with other areas of healthcare, such as social work and psychology, where there is also a shortage.

In the circumstances, the ministry issued a call for tenders for recruitment agencies to engage foreign nurses, a proposal that had already been mooted when John Dalli was Social Policy Minister, Mr Galea said.

The nurses' qualifications would have to be of European standard and recognised by EU countries while good spoken English is deemed a vital prerequisite.

The fact that nurses are lacking all over the world and that the hospital has to compete with the private sector made the situation even more challenging, he said.

Asked whether foreign professionals would be paid more than their Maltese counterparts to match wages abroad and attract them here, Mr Galea said he was sure unions would object to that, but added that the recruits would have to be compensated in some way for relocating.

Last week, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses called for all prospective students applying for nursing courses to be accepted, after some applicants were turned away last year because the University could not cater for them.

The intake had been increased from 100 to 165 following the union's complaints. However, 30 students have dropped out.

The union estimates that about 300 students would need to follow nursing courses every year for Malta to keep up with the demand.

The union expressed concern about the "dubious qualifications" of some 40 Pakistani nurses who applied for posts here and who are over and above the 200-300 foreign nurses still to be recruited. The union also has some qualms about potential language barriers.

Nonetheless, it said it was accepting the employment of foreign nurses because the situation was dire. Established staff complements were not being respected due to the shortage. Mater Dei Hospital wards had between three and four nurses rather than the stipulated eight while the Intensive Therapy Unit was operating with one nurse per three patients rather than a ratio of one to one.

More stories from The Times in the News section

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