Claudia Calleja
Unions consider action on bed shortage
‘Staff and patients are suffering’
The bed shortage situation at Mater Dei Hospital is stressful for staff and strips patients of their dignity, according to three medical unions.
Three medical unions are considering industrial action at Mater Dei Hospital over the bed shortage problem which they feel has reached a critical point.
Independently of each other, the Medical Association of Malta (MAM), which represents doctors, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) and the Emergency Nurses’ Union (ENU) said they were tired of the situation and were looking at possible industrial action as a measure of last resort.
Two of the unions did not give details of the action they would take, if any, while the MUMN said it might issue directives connected to day surgery if the bed shortage there was not solved by Monday.
The three unions were asked for their reactions to the bed remodelling exercise proposed by the government. They were practically unanimous in their reactions: the exercise was a waste of time since the causes were already known and immediate action was needed.
The general view was that shortage of beds was causing undue stress on their members and stripping patients of their dignity.
Earlier this week, Health Minister Joseph Cassar said an exercise would be carried out at Mater Dei Hospital to establish how each bed was being used and to consider in which areas the number of beds could be increased.
The state hospital has been plagued with the problem ever since it opened its doors to the public three years ago. With 850 beds, it has less bed-space than the previous St Luke’s Hospital.
MAM’s president Martin Balzan and ENU president John Zammit both said the “unacceptable” situation was pushing them to consider industrial action.
MUMN president Paul Pace said the union would have no choice but to issue directives to its members if the bed shortage at the day surgery ward was not solved by Monday.
The “obvious” action to be taken by the union would include directing nurses to handle only that number of patients equivalent to the number of beds left available for day surgery.
“The bed situation has gone from bad to worse,” he said. Apart from the problems in four corridor areas — area two in the casualty department, the paediatric corridor, holding bay and discharge lounge — where patients were nursed on stretchers, only 14 out of 65 beds in the day surgery unit were used for the intended purpose. The bulk of the area was being allocated to patients after they had been seen in the casualty department.
He said the bed remodelling exercise only made sense if there were beds left to move around – which was not the case. Remodelling only offered a temporary “short-term patch work” as the problem was much more deep-rooted.
One of the main issues, he maintained, was the lack of geriatric services in the community and lack of legislation protecting the elderly from being abandoned in hospital by relatives, where they blocked beds. Then there was the lack of palliative care, for people with incurable illnesses.
Even if these issues were tackled, there were still not enough beds to cater for the needs of the population, he said. As a long-term solution, there needed to be a proper study of the country’s needs.
“The bed situation at Mater Dei is untenable. It’s unacceptable that you have 70 per cent of emergency patients in corridors...The association will be meeting next week and may have to act... industrial action could be taken,” Dr Balzan said.
Mr Zammit, representing emergency nurses, said his union had recommended turning an area, used for staff uniforms, into an area for people awaiting beds.
“The staff and patients are suffering... we can no longer exclude issuing directives as we are overworked,” he said, adding he would wait for the outcome of a recent meeting with management.
“They can do the remodelling exercise but we know what the problems are... We don’t have time to waste... the union is willing to help,” he said.
In a statement, the Health Ministry said it was shameful that the MUMN would resort to industrial action, to the detriment of patients, when it knew the hospital management was trying to address the bed shortage situation.
Questions sent about the unions’ reactions to the bed remodelling exercise remained unanswered by the time of going to print.
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Daniel Goggi
Apr 16th 2011, 22:20
As Mr. Farrugia said, the solution people will definitely start hearing about in the coming days is the opening of a new ward at The Rehabilitation Hospital Karin Grech (RHKG), and another one within a few other days., if they hear about it at all.
It is very saddening to see that in the three year resume press conference held at RHKG itself held last Monday by the Health Minister Hon. Dr. J Cassar, there was no mention that Karin Grech Hospital employees are working round the clock on a daily basis, providing rehabilitation and medical care 24/7 as best they can. Other workers are also working round the clock trying to refurbish as best they can (with a very very limited budget) outdated/old/dilapidated wards in Karin Grech Hospital. All the unions and press care about is Mater Dei Hospital.
They never mention, or let me rephrase, they never emphasise the fact that bed shortages at MDH are more often than not due to long term care cases. I completely agree with Mr. Farrugia regarding this issue. People do not know anything about what is going on in our "nice' socitey.... Elderly people who would have raised up a family back in their younger years, are finding themselves declared for long term care (waiting or Saint Vincent De Paul Residence) just because they are becoming forgetful (suffering from dementia), or for other medico/social aspects for which family members conveniently find the opportunity to withdraw support from their elderly relatives. I am obviously not referring for the few genuine cases at this point.
People at RHKG work relentlessly at trying to improve the ability of these patients and therefore enabling reintegration in society, some of these patients are up and about and yet they still await for SVPR just because carers/relatives withdraw support or else because we lack a proper back bone of social services catering for these vulnerable peoples needs.
Having just skimmed/outlined over the problems the health service is facing at the moment, I find it utterly disgusting that unions are repeatedly only seeing to MDH's staff needs.
Should the two wards in RHKG open to facilitate/accommodate MDH needs (which I stress, are essential since MDH is the only Acute General Hospital with YES state of the art facilities for diagnosing and treating disease and illnesses on the Island), NO union has seen to it's members who working at RHKG; Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Pathologists, Social Workers, Nursing aides, Health Assistants etc...... Services at RHKG are already working at a stretch for some professions as things are.. I dare not imagine what shall happen when these 2 wards open. Crisis Management issues are a daily issue at MDH and RHKG now a day.
This is what people should know about! They should know: How elderly people are continuously being "dumped" (I apologise for this harsh word) at Mater Dei Hospital when they set foot at Accidents and Emergency (once again I am not referring to the genuine cases). How ALL the health care system has been compromised and not only Mater Dei Hospital. How people work behind the scenes to ensure the upkeep of care standards as high as possible even without having any recognition for it from any of the authorities.
Mr Karl Farrugia
Apr 16th 2011, 10:56
So since they let me post a comment let's see if this goes through.
A brief description prior to the solution;
At Karin Grech Hospital (a NON-State of the art hospital, actually quite the opposite!) right now there are circa 155 patients being cared for. Some are there for what is called rehabilitation (therapy wise), others for what is called Long Term Care (waiting for space at SVPR) and some awaiting arrangements at home before they depart.
As I said before the state of the wards, the equipment, and the lack of rehab staff there is makes KGH an ANTI-State-of-the-art Hospital. (but that's another issue).
The 'Solution' for the problem according to the Ministry;
Well simple!!! There are around 50-65 patients at Mater Dei Hospital awaiting for what is called transfer to KGH for 'Rehab'. So what does the MInistry want to do?! Yes open another 2 NON-State-of-the-art wards at KGH!
Well it could be a great idea! Unless... Well which staff is going to work on these wards? From where is the ministry going to get the Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Pharmacists, Health Assistants and Aids to the therapists????
Does anyone know how short is KGH from (wo)man-power? Does anyone realise that without the appropriate staffing members these patients cannot be probably 'rehabilitated' into their previous daily life?
Well I think this is another quick-fix solution adapted by the Health sector due to the on-going crisis which is being faced n the Health area in Malta. People who are healthy or not working around it DO NOT have an idea what it is like.
Mr Karl Farrugia
Apr 16th 2011, 09:41
Yesterday I posted a comment on how the Minister is trying to address the problem and probably 'solve' it. The editor or moderator apparently did not like my slightly sarcastic tone or else my TRUTH TELLING. Well basically they did not post my comment.
To make a summary; the problem will solved by opening another 2 wards in Karin Grech Hospital. So elderly patients needing long term care or physical rehabilitation will be transfered there.
But this is not a solution! And if The Moderator lets me post another comment I will write why.
Mr Joseph Calleja
Apr 15th 2011, 16:04
Is Mater Dei under staffed? Is Mater Dei misnaged? Is Mater Dei not big enough to handle the influx of patients? Is the government turning their heads the other way and pretend there is no problem at Mater Dei. Mater Dei was planned to accommodate a much smaller society without the additional amount of foreigners who are swarming our island. It is very obvious that Mater Dei cannot handle the number of patients being admitted for treatment. It is like trying to fit 5 litres of water in a one litre can. Dr Cassar keeps insisting there is no problem at Mater Dei but doctors, nurses and patients seem to think otherwise.
Albert Calleja
Apr 15th 2011, 11:07
BED SHORTAGE AT STATE OF ART MATER DEI.
It is about time the Unions do something about bed shortages at Mater Day.
I would like to share my experience at the State of Art Mater Dei.
I am a retired civil servant and have worked all my life and always paid my national insurance contributions and taxes.
5th April, Tuesday 7.30 a.m taken to Mater Dei Emergency Unit by ambulance with severe chest pain.
An hour later, after tests, I was taken to the corridor of the Emergency Unit where I waited for about 5 hours together with about 10 patients..
Then I was taken to another corridor with patients on both sides, about 20 patients in all. They even performed a biopsy on a patient just opposite me.
With the patients, (as out patient I presume) was a renowned Lawyer waiting for a free ECG, unbelievable.
After about another 3 more hours I was the only one who was sent to ENT Ward, a ward with nothing to do with my ailment
They performed about 5 ECGs for me, finding nothing wrong with my heart.
From other tests it resulted, they said, I had an infection in my lungs.
6th April, Wednesday 2.00 p.m. I was transferred from ENT to MS3.
7th April, Thursday, at 9.00 a.m. I was discharged and I was taken out of MS3 Ward to the Discharge Lounge, where I waited till 1.30 p.m. until the doctor, who was doing her rounds in the hospital, came to give me the prescription for my pills (Tavenic 500mg).
Discharge note is going to be sent by post cause I got fed up waiting.
Four and a half hours of waiting for a prescription.
A Sate of Art only in the structure only!!!!!!
This means I spent about 12 and a half hours waiting, eight of which in a corridor, waiting for a bed in a ward.
And Minister Joe Cassar says that there are enough beds.
He should declare that there are not enough beds.
He should address and solve this bed problem.
I am sure he has a solution, he should implement it.
Albert Calleja.