Government teams up with private sector to reduce waiting list for cataract operations
Patients on the waiting list for cataract operations at Mater Dei Hospital are to have their operations performed free of charge at private hospitals under an agreement announced today by the Ministry of Health.
Some of the patients are being contacted by the authorities today.
Cataracts constitute the longest waiting list for operations at Mater Dei, with 4,752 pending operations, according to information given in parliament last month.
Today's deal was reached, on the initiative of Health Minister Joseph Cassar, with St James and St Anne's hospitals.
Dr Cassar said this agreement was in keeping with its electoral promise to keep health services free of charge and to collaborate with the private sector so that waiting lists for operations could be reduced.
The first patients to be contacted are those who have been longest on the waiting list.
Dr Cassar said the agreement follows a similar partnership last year when patients started being sent to a private hospital for PET scans.
Meanwhile, Dr Cassar said, the number of operations at Mater Dei is increasing, having reached 41,795 in the last year, an increase of 9,000 over the previous year.
He said that there was higher utilisation of the operating theatres and consultants were being asked to stay on when they reached retirement age.
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guido cutajar
Aug 2nd 2011, 07:29
L-ebda servizz tas sahha, inkluz kull sptar tal gvern, ma kien, jew huwa, jew ser ikun, B`XEJN. Din hija " Gimmick " ta kull gvern... Ahna ic cittadini min dejjem, u ghadna inhallsu ghal dan is servizz, permez tat taxxi. Ghal dawk li dejjem evadew it taxxi huwa b`xejn, anzi abbuz. Meta tithallas il P.A.Y.E., parti sostanzjali tmur ghas sahha. John Dalli meta kien ministru kien gholla il V.A.T. ( jekk minhiex sejjer zball bit 2 %,) sabiex tmur ghas sistema tas sahha. Jekk ser isiru xi operazzjonijiet go sptarijiet privati, nemmen li il gvern ser ihallashom, mit taxxi taghna. Mela mhux b`xejn, ghanzi, nghejd li gabu lil gvern fejn riedu huma.....Minghajr ma niggenera.....Issa ikun hemm xi profs...jghamel xi tuzzana operazzjoni fil privat ( ghax ser jithallas tajjeb ) kull jum, u xi tnejn f`istess gurnata Mater Dei, b`anqas flus.
Louise Ciappara
Aug 2nd 2011, 05:27
Min imaqdar irid jixtri. Fejn tidhol s-sahha jmissna napprezzaw kull decizzjoni li ssir ghal gid ta' kull pazjent li jigi bzonn.
GRAZZI tal-hidma kontinwa lil kull min hu nvolut.
Godfrey Galea
Aug 1st 2011, 23:59
Wahda mill-pariri ta' Dr Muscat. Ilu li qalha xi 3 snin. Kemm kienu jsiru operazzjonijiet kieku sema' mill-parir mill-ewwel.
Mr Lawrence Fenech
Aug 1st 2011, 20:36
At what price?
Gabriel Spiteri
Aug 1st 2011, 20:23
Kullhadd igerger u jmaqdar f'dal pajjiz. In-nies ghandhom ghalfejn jirringrazzjaw l'alla li se jkunu jistghu jaghmlu l-operazzjonijiet i jehtiegu anke jekk mhux f'Mater Dei, l-aqwa li jsiru u jkunu bla hlas.
M. Bezzina
Aug 1st 2011, 21:06
Ghaziz Gabriel ghalfejn tahseb li il waiting list zdidu??Mhux ovvja li kulhadd mohhu fil privat, Allura tort ta min jigi dan??Mhux tort tal gvern.by the way inti semmejt li ''l-aqwa li jsiru u jkunu bla hlas''. mela mhux mit tasxxa tijej u tijek tithallas!!Ma nafx jien forsi taf b xi fondi mohbija li rnexxilu jiddoba l gvern???
Joseph Borg
Aug 1st 2011, 18:21
Ha naraw x agreement faqqajna issa! ghax Alla jbierek biex mil Mater Dei jaghmlulek PET scan fil privat trid taqa bomba! L istess storja bhal ma gara fi zmien l MRI u CT scan imbghad b misteru kbir kif jixtrijhom il gvern jibda jaghmilhom qisu pastizzi tal pizelli left right and center. Biex tara kemm hemm kontroll ta kif jintefqu il flus fis sahha ghax filli il gvern jibghat 2 pazjenti kuljum ghal PET SCAN (ghax hemm kontroll peress li qed jintbghatu lill privat) u f daqqa wahda kif tigi tieghi jibdew isiru xi 10 kuljum ghax kulhadd jordna testijiet bl addocc!
Taparsi nofru servizz biex naghlqu halq in nies sa kemm "ikollna taghna"
Is sabiha li issa l istess Konsulenti jaghmlu l istess interventions li jistaw isiru Mater Dei. Imma kumbinazzjoni Mater Dei dejjem bil listi imma issa milli jidher l istess konsulenti ha jsibu il hin biex inaqsu il waitng list billi jqattaw l ispare time fil privat! kemm huma ta kuxxjenza hux!
ALFRED BRIFFA
Aug 1st 2011, 19:51
Naqbel ma l-ahhar paragrafu...kif ser jsibu hin dawn biex jaghmlu x-xoghol fi sptarijiet privati u fl-gvern le! Jista xi hadd jghidilna kemm hemm konsulenti oftalmologisti li jahdmu fil-privat biss....jien nistenna li dawn BISS ser ikollhom cans ghax l=ohrajn iridu jistrihu wara granet TA XOGHOL KBIR f'Mater Dei!!!
Mr twanny borg
Aug 1st 2011, 17:43
dan jikkontrasta hafna ma dak li xewxu tal-pl qabel l-ahhar elezzjoni li lisptar se jsir bi hlas. mur emminhom!!
M. Bezzina
Aug 2nd 2011, 07:00
Nahseb qrajtu l artiklu il hadd li ghadda hux ''Mater Dei CEO clarifies that free health care unsustainable ‘solely from a business point of view’
Allahares jerga jkun fil gvern il PN ax disastru qedin u ma nafx x jista jaghmel iktar!!!
Wayne Criggs
Aug 1st 2011, 16:39
A very well done to all those involved to make this possible. This news is a seigh of relief for many people and families.
j brincat
Aug 1st 2011, 16:23
@George Calleja
It is Mater Dei's CEO who hinted at that!
(jb)
j brincat
Aug 1st 2011, 16:22
And the elections are near - the time when the Government (dormant for three and a half years) is galvanized into action!
(jb)
Michael Seychell
Aug 1st 2011, 19:50
Mr. J. BrincatOur government - mine and yours whatever political party you support, has been so dormant during these three years, so much so that our economy is one of the most stable in the EU; ouer unemployment is one of the lowest; our exports are increasing every quarter; tourism has been even better that last year which itself broke the 2008 record; and finally the eminent Labour economist Lino Spiteri confirmed that if the EU ends up in a two tier Union, Malta will be with the strong countries with Germany.
I pray to God, that if God forbid Dr. Joe Muscat known also as Mr. 'The End Justifies The Means', ever becomes Prime Minister, his government will be as dormant as this government. However my belief is that Malta will wake up once more to the time when the the police will be a tool of the Labour Party, and the Law Courts decisions will be ignored as has already been confirmed by almighty Joe!.
Ms Monica Muscat
Aug 2nd 2011, 00:32
Sorry for being blunt! But as you seem to be one of those who has not seen or noticed the big changes that the present government has achieved in Malta these last three & half years, than you must be one of those on the waiting list to be operated on your eyes! So what would you prefer - to slowly go blind and have to seek help to vote for Dr. Joseph Muscat next election, or rather have your operation done in a short time, whether at Mater Dei or any one of the Private Hospitals?
The choice is yours - I for one, never cut my nose to spite my face!
Charles Massa
Aug 1st 2011, 16:00
U qabel l elezzjoni kien qalu l waiting list se tonqos ghax se ikolna state of the art hospital. Gonzi pn qed jaghmel hekk mhux ghax ihobb il pazjenti imma ghax se tersaq l elezzjoni u joqod jiftahar li naqqas il waiting list
Mr George Calleja
Aug 1st 2011, 15:53
Imbaghad jigi Joseph Muscat u jghid li l-isptar se jkun bi hlas!! Jahasra kif ma jitghallem qatt u mhux jibqa jghid dak li jisma!! Qatt ma johrog b'wahda originali!! Dejjem jara l-gazzetti...isib il-hazin u jirrepetih ...bhal pappagall!!
joe zammit
Aug 1st 2011, 16:16
u jekk veru se jaghmel dan mhux bl-istess professuri iridu isiru?
Mr J. Borg
Aug 1st 2011, 17:08
@ Mr. Calleja
Nahseb li ma tafx x'inti tghid siehbi. Il-PL ilu jghid lill gvern biex jaghmel ftehim mal privat fejn jidhlu il-lista ma jaqtaw xejn ta pazjenti. Imma issa fl'ahhar il-gvern iddeciieda li jaghmel ftehim.
U issa in fuq jigi il-ministru jiftahar b'dan il-ftehim. L-ewwel ma jaghtix qas ta xi tghid l-oppozzizjoni u wara jilhaq ftehim u jipprova jiehu il-mertu hu.
Din bhal tal-flus (boqxiex) li l-ministru tal-finanzi ser jsghti. L-ewwwel qal li ma jistax ikun u wara li gie sfurzat mill-unions....issa qed jipprova jiehu il-mertu il-gvern.
Mr John Micallef
Aug 1st 2011, 14:37
Pity this agreement could not be reached when St. Philip's Hospital was still active.
Mr Denis Pace
Aug 1st 2011, 14:49
why?
Mr joe vella
Aug 1st 2011, 15:55
because it was superior to the others, well kept, very competent staff
Joseph Borg
Aug 1st 2011, 18:13
fuq l hiema bazi iddeccidejt li is-St Philips kien aqwa mil ohrajn please? Jiena DEJJEM inqdejt bis Saint James u QATT ma kelli xi ngorr specjalment mil indafa, mis servizz u mod specjali mil kura li rcevejt min kull membru tal istaff.
Mr John Micallef
Aug 1st 2011, 19:43
Jien kont nahdem hemm.
Bl-ebda nuqqas ta rispett lejn sptarijiet privati ohra, imma St Philips kien l-ewwwl sptar 'state of the art' ta veru f'Malta.
Issa m'hemmx x'taghmel. Hasra tara dak l-investiment kollu rieqed.
Mr Joseph Sammut
Aug 1st 2011, 13:38
But aren't the ophtalmic surgeons performing these ops in the private sectors the same ones that are employed by Govt at MDH.
Mr Jo Camm
Aug 1st 2011, 16:47
It is better - one might be sent to the same surgeon in the private hospital. Why not?
Mr joe vella
Aug 1st 2011, 17:30
yes exactly, the only difference is:
when you are diagnosed and the need for any sort of intervention comes up, there is always a long waiting time at MDH
as soon as you utter the words 'private treatment' the procedure can be carried out that very same day or the day after !
what makes the difference? three guesses anyone?
Charles Busuttil
Aug 1st 2011, 20:31
@ Mr Jo Camm
Why is it better? Isn't Mater Dei a better hospital than the private ones?
Mr Patrick Zammit
Aug 1st 2011, 13:05
"He said that there was higher utilisation of the operating theatres and consultants were being asked to stay on when they reached retirement age."
Except for Dr A Zammit...
C Muscat
Aug 1st 2011, 13:03
Keep it up Sir. I have just been to Mater Dei outpatient for my daughter, last Friday and received sterling service. It was free of charge naturally paid through my taxes. A big thank you to the consultant and his team who stayed after time to see my daughter. Well done and keep it up.
Mr Victor Laiviera
Aug 1st 2011, 12:45
A proposal made by the PL as far back as January 2009.
Still, better late than never ...
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090121/local/pl-proposes-measures-to-reduce-hospital-waiting-lists.241669
J. Scicluna
Aug 1st 2011, 13:24
...and since it was made by the PL it was "ipso facto" wrong and discarded.
Now that the proposal is a couple of years' old the PN could "claim" it as its own brainchild.
Prosit for spotting this feeble attempt by the tired PN :-)
Alex Falzon
Aug 1st 2011, 13:29
It was a copied proposal by the PL. The PN mentioned this particular proposal on its electoral mandate before 2008 elections
Mr Joe Micallef
Aug 1st 2011, 13:56
Let's see if you can count - which comes first 2008 or 2009?
Peter Xuereb
Aug 1st 2011, 14:46
Stuff the "copy this, copy that". We should get into a mentality of getting things done rather than putting the blame on either party. Remember, in a modern political system the opposition proposes measures while the government implements them as necessary and thus neither side should complain for others doing one's job. But hardly surprising that the average Maltese thinks otherwise when his understanding of politics is limited to Red and Blue.
Mr Denis Pace
Aug 1st 2011, 14:51
proposed by PN in 2008
Copied by LP in 2009
WHO CARES?
Mr Jo Camm
Aug 1st 2011, 15:37
Qed tara kif it-tajjeb kollu bis-sahha tal-PL jsir - ezatt kif jghidu s-Socjalisti.
Mr George Calleja
Aug 1st 2011, 15:43
Imma kif dejjem teqirdu! Issa ghax se jaqtghalkom il-kritika fuq il-waiting list....se tibdew tinsinwaw li kienet ideja taghkom!! Veru labour gemgem intom!!
Melvin Tonna
Aug 1st 2011, 19:08
Qiskom tfal zghar. Ghax din il-proposta l-partit tieghi hareg biha! Le ta' din il-partit tieghi hareg biha! Ieqfu naqra u hope for the best forsi wara min jaf kemm il-sena din l-imbierka waiting list tonqos fin-numru. Suppost iz-zewg partiti qeghdin hemm ghall-gid tal-pajjiz! Mela hsibtuha xi loghba futbol!!!
J. Scicluna
Aug 1st 2011, 12:42
...and how much is this going to cost the Taxpayer?
Mr Denis Pace
Aug 1st 2011, 14:52
"Free" health is one of the highest costs for the Taxpayer.
We should be AGAINST this not accept it as a dogma
Albert Debono
Aug 1st 2011, 15:12
what treshold would you want the taxpayer to stop at if you where the one needing services mr/mrs scicluna?
Mr Jo Camm
Aug 1st 2011, 15:39
I don't care. Basta min ikollu bzonn jinqeda!!
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