Tackling long waiting lists

The minister responsible for the health sector, Joe Cassar, has announced that in order to reduce the scandalous waiting list of patients requiring a cataract operation – a person I happen to know very well has been waiting for six long years – private hospitals will also be involved in performing these operations. It was reported that this came about “through the initiative” of Dr Cassar.

Readers should be made aware that, way back in January 2009, the Labour spokesman for health matters, Michael Farrugia, together with consultant surgeon Anthony Zammit, had addressed a press conference and made suggestions on how the waiting list could be drastically reduced. Among the measures suggested was the involvement of private hospitals!

It has taken this government two and half years to take action. Was all this delay intended to make people forget who had “taken the initiative” because the suggestion had been made by the opposition? Or is the “initiative” being taken now because the general election is looming ever closer?!