Juan Ameen
Foreigners queue up for nursing vacancies
‘Repetitive work done by casualty and ward doctors’
A total of 300 nurses, mainly foreign, have applied to work within the public sector, the Health Ministry said yesterday.
Of these, 50 applications were from Maltese, some of whom have just completed their studies and will be called to work in the near future, the ministry said.
It was reacting to statements made by the Emergency Nurses Union and the Medical Association of Malta which lamented the shortage of nursing staff and the long waiting hours to be given a bed in the hospital’s emergency ward.
The nurses’ council, an auto-nomous body, has received 300 applications since January, after the government issued a call, which will remain open until 2011, for nurses of any nationality to apply for the job.
The majority of these – 250 applications – were submitted by foreign nurses, mainly non EU-nationals, a ministry spokesman said.
So far, 125 have passed the first phase of the selection process. The council has given the go-ahead for 46 Pakistani nurses to work as staff nurses from next month while a further 79 nurses would be scrutinised, the ministry said.
In a statement, the nurses’ council said it was committed to providing the best service possible by closely vetting the qualifications, while making sure the nurses were able to communicate without any problems.
To overcome language barrier problems, foreign nurses will follow proficiency studies and ensure they adapt to work and the Maltese culture.
The vetting process took time because the council had to check the qualifications while other departments had to approve a work permit and a visa, it added.
Health Minister Joe Cassar said the figures were the result of the government’s commitment to strengthen the health services.
But Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses president Paul Pace said the problem of long waiting times at Mater Dei Hospital’s emergency ward was more complex than the shortage of nurses.
“There is more to it than a lack of nurses and we are short by around 700. Among other things, a lot of repetitive work is done by the casualty and ward doctors. There is also a massive shortage of beds,” he said.
He said 84 per cent of patients at Mater Dei Hospital were elderly people who could not be taken home because both spouses had to work. “It’s not a matter of dumping – lifestyles have changed,” he said.
Mr Pace condemned the decision to leave patients waiting in a corridor, describing it as undignified and highly irresponsible.
The union was tackling the shortage of nurses on all fronts. “We are leaving no stone unturned,” Mr Pace said.
The union is meeting the ministry next week to discuss several proposals, including changing the hospital’s admission and discharge policy, while increasing the bed complement and the intake of new nurses.
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Joseph E Briffa
Aug 22nd 2010, 09:55
@ Roderick Micallef. Shortage of nurses is not something peculiar to Malta. In the UK it is a big problem and the British rely on nurses from the Commonwealth. I don't know about Germany but since the salaries of nurses there must be much higher than those in Malta why would German nurses be attracted to Malta? Malta can only attract nurses from Eastern Europe and from Commonwealth countries like Pakistan where salaries are lower than in Malta. It's a marvellous thing that the Maltese can communicate in English otherwise we would be completely isolated.
Roderick Micallef
Aug 22nd 2010, 07:36
What a sad place our country is slowly becoming, there is most probably not even a single project that will leave our identity as a country intact. Whether it's the shipyards which I can assure every one that it will start making profits in no time since it has been transferred to the private.
Whether it's the boasting of the government that no foreign workers will be coming over to take the maltese people careers (this was mentioned several times before we joined the EU). What is most interesting is that in Malta most workers are coming from outside the EU thus confirming at what situation our country is.
Now this news of the nurses is what I call one of the cherries on the cake, nurses from Pakistan why not England or Germany why Pakistan not even an EU country? While a further 79 nurses would be scrutinised, the ministry said? Scrutinized on what exactly on who to employ on the lowest wage possible maybe?
Poficiency studies to ensure they adapt to work and the Maltese culture and avoid language problems? Employ Maltese nurses dear Minister wouldn't it have been easier? What do we think we are stupid?
Franco Farrugia
Aug 21st 2010, 23:20
@ Igalea: 'Now they have sold us and our country to the EU. '
You are still lagging behind, my friend. You have to move along with the times. It is Malta's greatest achievement to be members of the EU. You need re-educating!
Dr Michael A. Riccioli
Aug 21st 2010, 23:00
Here's an internet site which might help the nurses brush up their English:
http://www.englishmed.com
Site launched in Malta.
Michael Neville Cassar
Aug 21st 2010, 18:34
@Joe Vella
Ask those nurses which were not employed and I am sure they will give you what you want, the truth always hurt and nothing is going to change facts ,St Luke Hospital was still under a full load at the time with a different PN Minister .
Denis Catania
Aug 21st 2010, 16:54
The group Save Malta From illegal immigration would like some answers on complaints that we received on illegal immigrants that come from the open centers and detention centers jump ahead of the line when it comes to medical treatment. Which was confirmed by nurses at the hospital.
mario gellel
Aug 21st 2010, 15:57
THE ONLY THING MISSING FROM THE DNA OF THE PN PARTY IS THE MALTESE BLOOD.
FOR THE REST THEY HAVE EVERYTHING.
Joe Vella
Aug 21st 2010, 16:30
@ Mario Gellel
There is no doubt as to the DNA of the Nationalist Party. It was the PN that not only believed in Independence was the only option for Malta, but fought for it and obtained without the shred of any blood unlike many other Countries the likes of India did. The other thing the PN Government of EFA did upon being sworn in 1987 was through a UN sponsored program was to ask Sovereign Government, mostly Western States, to make it possible for Professional Expatriates to return to Malta to help in the rebuilding of the Country from the sorry state of affairs that the previous Socialist PL Governments had left Malta in. These are facts, not an opinion.
lgalea
Aug 21st 2010, 17:26
Joe Vella the PN never believed in independence of Malta and always wanted Malta to be part of another nation. Remember the fight in favour of Italian? Remember those who were exiled during the war? Remember the Balilla with their black shirts? Now they have sold us and our country to the EU. What Borg Olivier and others wanted qas a quasi-dominion status, something which did not exist. When Borg Olivier told the British Colonial Office whether they wanted him to ask for independence when they did not give in to his quasi-dominion status the Minister told him which one independence order do you want? I have many in my drawer? And then Borg Olivier did not come back to Malta because he did not want the people to know that he had been given independence and went to Ghana Independence celebrations and when he came back he told the people to tell the British that they wanted Uhuru meaning Independence. People didn't understand the word and a newspaper came out with an article titled Uhuru w Harambe'. That is what the PN always wanted, to be an Italian province not independence.
Joe Vella
Aug 21st 2010, 19:16
@ l. Galea
One thing I give you credit for - that is you are a master manipulator of history. The issue of Italian was one of Language and not Nationhood. You can but what ever twist and interpretation to the phrase " Quasi - Dominion status". What the PN was proposing and achieved through Independence was Nationhood similar to that of Canada and Australia. INTEGRATION WITH BRITIAN, NOR ITALY WHERE EVER AN OPTION FOR THE PN. You keep talking about GBO, the language issue preceded GBO. AS I SAID YOU ARE A MASTER OF MANUPILATER OF HISTORY AND FACTS. At the same time you only go to discredit yourself cause history is there for one and all to see and read an no attempt by you and the likes will ever change or rewrite history.
lgalea
Aug 21st 2010, 23:57
Joe Vella you say I am a master of manipulation of history. I invite people to check newspapers and publications of the period and they will see who is the master of manipulation. The expression "Partit Saħta ta' Malta" was not coined by the MLP Joe. What GBO asked for was quasi-dominion status. Indeed the PN never asked for independence and officially only wanted dominion status and never asked for independence.
1947 PN Electoral Manifesto"...and that what the Maltese People has, since many years, been clamouring for and has a right to get for ethnical, historical and civil reasons as well as on the strength of the principles mentioned in the very Atlantic Charter signed in 1941 by the United Kingdom and the United States of America, is nothing short of what, up to a few days ago, was known as "Dominion Status"...,
1950 PN Electoral manifesto "but we also feel and expect that, in all political matters and rights touching our country, the Maltese have the right to a fully responsible government otherwise known as "Dominion Status".
lgalea
Aug 21st 2010, 23:59
2
1962 PN electoral manifesto "The Party recalls and emphasises the fact that after the great Nationalist victory of l932 a Maltese Government delegation, comprising the great patriots Sir Ugo U. Mifsud and Dr. Enrico Mizzi, had gone to London and submitted a memorandum to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the 30th July, 19329 officially demanding the grant of Dominion Status to Malta...."
If the PN was asking for independence why did it not put it in any of its electoral manifestos? Because it never asked for independence and GBO was shocked when he was given independence.
a.dalli
Aug 21st 2010, 15:32
Have no objection to foreign professional nurses being inducted into our health department.
What bothers me however is that these people do not speak Maltese? There are a good number of Maltese nationals that know no other tongue. For the sake of these people and in keeping with our traditions and identity, these foreigners should be made to study the Maltese language if they want to work here.
It is already become difficult to communicate in a number of catering establishments, as most of the workers are again foreigners
Joe Vella
Aug 21st 2010, 16:36
@ a. Dalli
Both Maltese and English are official languages in Malta. I am sure that if a Patient that didn't speak or understand english is admitted for care at the hospital of health centre, will be attended to by a Maltese speaking nurse. From the comments below by some bloggers it seems that it was okay that in the late '70's and early '80's to have medical personnel roaming our Hospital corridors that neither spoke Maltese, nor English.
John Azzopardi
Aug 21st 2010, 14:23
All I have to say it's unbelievable.............. Such a huge need and so many thousands of people in Malta who are not working. Why not encourage locals for those jobs. There is such a huge pool or men and women (especially women) who are not working. This is one cause where the church will not interfere if we enourage more women who are not working and stay at home to help out in our society. I am sure these jobs are paid well and they also help our society. To have such a large population of foreign nurses is insane.
Joe Vella
Aug 21st 2010, 16:40
@ John Azzopardi
We aren't talking about waiters/ess or cleaners. We are talking about a special creed of individual that are not only committed to the profession; but also have a life time dedication to it.
T Camilleri
Aug 21st 2010, 17:28
Joe Vella and yet Gonzipn stopped Maltese youths from joining nurse and other health workers courses because he said that we have enough.
Joe Vella
Aug 21st 2010, 19:22
@ T. Camilleri
Not correct. The story first published first in the press was not correct. Go and read the statement by the Rector of the University. One reason that we have such an enormous shortage of Nurses and other personnel in other disciplines today goes back to the decisions taken in the '70's and '80's. There is no reason to rehash in detail hers, as to what happened to the University during those years.
T Camilleri
Aug 22nd 2010, 00:03
Joe Vella of course I am correct. It's you who is trying to rewrite history including recent history. Can you stop harping and blaming the 1970's and 1980's for the sghortage of nurses which is nto true as we had more than enough? After all your PN has been in government since 1987 except between 1996 and 1998 so yes Joe its your PNs fault for not planning for our needs and more than this it disregarded all advise about what was required from the professionals in the sector. This is simply arrogance without limits by your PN governments Joe.
Joseph Calleja
Aug 21st 2010, 14:20
It appears that there is a lot of finger pointing and the right hand don't know what the left hand is doing. " He said 84 per cent of patients at Mater Dei Hospital were elderly people who could not be taken home because both spouses had to work." A hospital should not be used as a home for the elderly. Turn the old ST Luke's Hospital into a home for the elderly and use Mater Dei Hospital as it is meant to be, use it strictly as a hospital. Nobody wants to throw the elderly out but this hospital is meant to take care of a population 400,000 people plus. Sometimes we have to use tough love to correct a problem instead of pointing fingers and play politics. We are Maltese and if we put our heads together, I am sure we can come up with a proper solution. Stop blaming everything that is wrong with the hospital on the elderly. I think the biggest problem is lack of leadership within and outside the hospital. I am afraid the doctors are a part of that leadership. They have to decide, which patients belong and who doesn't.
Michael Neville Cassar
Aug 21st 2010, 13:36
If I remember correctly way back a number of Maltese Nurses were told by the PN government that no more are required, and now we are employing foreigners. We do have big problems within the governing body and I hope that most of us will wise up to these blunders and God help every patient that do not know how to communicate with these nurses in the hour of need .
Joe Vella
Aug 21st 2010, 16:43
@ Michael Neville Cassar
Quote me from any document or public statement that you are quoting the PN from. Put up or shut up. Enough crap.
Sergio Caruana
Aug 21st 2010, 17:31
It's better that you shut up and stop the crap because it was in the news Joe Vella. Do you expect people to keep a reference of everything just to give you the link when you demand it? You may deny the truth but you will never change it as much as you cannot keep fooling all the people all the time Joe.
Joe Vella
Aug 21st 2010, 19:42
@ Sergio Caruana
One must have one hell of a gut and be ignorant of history to tell someone to shut up on the very on-line site of the Times. Thank God we are no longer living the dark ages of the '70's and the '80's when under Socialist rule of the PL freedom of expression was threatened. People where afraid to freely express publicly in fear of retaliation and when the offices of this very newspaper where sacked and put on fire. Where the very Socialist culprits not only went unpunished but their action Sanctioned by the very Socialist Government of the Day. My friend, neither Super One, nor l-Orizzont report the news, they attempt to write the news; and that is quite a contrast. One just wonder why the Gloom and Doom Crowd, poor souls they are, do not even know what the hell is happening around them. One thing I will not tell you; that is to "SHUT UP" as I value freedom of expression as much, perhaps more. then you value each and every breath you take.
T Camilleri
Aug 21st 2010, 13:33
He said 84 per cent of patients at Mater Dei Hospital were elderly people who could not be taken home because both spouses had to work. “It’s not a matter of dumping – lifestyles have changed,” he said.
If that is the case it shows how arrogant is Gonzi when he does not refurbish St Lukes and continues ignoring everyone. This also shows arrogance and total incompetence when he knows the great need of old peoples homes and yet none are being built. This must be the highest level of arrogance and incompetence in any country. Not even in Zimbabwe can one find such arrogance and icompetence.
Charles.C.Brown
Aug 21st 2010, 13:05
The problem at the new hospital is becomming so acute that the government should start to siriously consider building at least two more hospitals one in the north to cater for patients from the northern areas and one in the south.healthcare should always come first for this government and any government for that matter.
patrick zammit
Aug 21st 2010, 14:02
Why build more hospitals?
We already have an empty one (St Lukes) and another (Boffa) which will soon be vacated on completion of the extension to M Dei.
That would be preferable than giving the vacated hospitals to some lucky contractor for peanuts.
Paul Barrett
Aug 21st 2010, 12:30
To me it seems not too difficult to re-activate two or three wards of St Lukes for patients that need some form of long term (but not acute) care but have no relative in a position to help them. On the manning side, this would not take a great deal of highly qualified staff, indeed if they could be looked after by a relative, they could be looked after by people other than qualified nurses that could easily and quickly call for help in an emergency. This would release beds for acute care at the new hospital.
Robert Donnelly
Aug 21st 2010, 13:18
Always complaining that you don't have enough personnel ( NURSES ) to fill up those positions. Now according to the news paper, you have at least 50 qualified Maltese nurses avilable for the jobs. What are you guys waiting for ?. Hire them as soon as possible Why give a better chance to 46 foreigners over Maltese. Charity begins at home, I always been told. Also more important, What about the language barrier. Would'nt you feel better to communicate with a Maltese nurse or a doctor.
patrick zammit
Aug 21st 2010, 10:42
1) Why did we build a new hospital having much less beds than St Lukes? Some say the ratio is about 700 to 1,200 beds.
2) Why make it difficult to employ locals? A person commented that his daughter, an SRN, had to leave work to raise her children and has now applied to be reinstated but has not yet received a reply from the Health Dept after 6 months if I remember correctly.
J.F. Vassallo Ebejer
Aug 21st 2010, 11:37
Re your query (1), the reason is that the politicians, headed by Dr. Gonzi, took over the whole project, totally ignoring the MMA and the MUMN, in other words, the people who have to run the hospital.
The only politician who on would have expected to see involved, the Minister of Health at that time, was also ignored.
I think there is an even more serious issue – why did Dr. Gonzi and his gang ignore all the data re bed usage that had been built up during the decades when St. Luke’s was still in full use?
What on earth made our politicians ignore all the data when they must have known that they were steering us into the disaster that is Mater Dei today??
Re your query (2), there simply isn’t enough money. We have accumulated some 4 billion euros in debt, but we still cannot afford to employ these people immediately.