Medicine and the long-suffering public

The other afternoon I decided that I should go to Paola health centre to collect the remainder of the pill list I was not supplied with the last two times I have been in the last three weeks, because of non-availability of the said pills.

Before one goes to collect these usually unavailable pills, one is advised to phone the pharmacy to see if they have the pills or not. So I phoned the health centre pharmacy about eight times but there was never a reply.

I really needed these pills. I had bought a few packets of substitute pills, and they are not cheap, and I am a pensioner, but I decided that I should go anyway, in the hope that on that day they would be available.

When I got there, for a change, there was no queue at all and just two persons being served at the five windows available. The pharmacists were talking to each other, as usual, so I waited at the door of the pharmacy to see which window would be available next.

A man behind a vacant window called me over, very abruptly, with something like “You come on!” and upon seeing the prescription, gave the usual response: “Not available; we haven’t any.” I suspected a smirk on his face.

I had a good look at all six to eight of them behind the counters and commented to their obvious supervisor, as his hands were crossed, doing nothing at the back orchestrating the main topic of their conversation, if they had a directive not to answer the phone, to which they just nodded their heads. I thanked them and their union for giving me the pleasure of going there for nothing, as if they had answered the phone I would not have had to go there.

The person responsible for the purchase of these medications is also responsible for us, the public, having to go to these pharmacies umpteen times for the same prescription, only to be told that they are not available. He is also responsible for all the overtime these pharmacists are paid when working those extra three hours on the three afternoons every week.

And then the government informs us, the taxpaying citizens of Malta, how many millions of euros are spent on so-called free medicine!

The union dishing out these directives should realise that we, the public in general, are suffering, not the minister, because if he needs some pills they will probably be delivered to his door. This same union, or any other union for that matter, should realise that we, the suffering public can never sympathise with it when it directs its members to be a nuisance to us.

Is there anybody out there who is getting paid for his lack of responsibility?