Malta’s healthcare system costs taxpayers €1 million a day to run but is worth every penny for people to have the best service, according to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
Healthcare system here can be compared to that of richer, bigger countries with more resources
“Don’t take it for granted as we work very hard for it – the country has made sacrifices to continue spending on healthcare,” Dr Gonzi said in a political meeting in Mosta.
Even though the healthcare system was “free” because patients did not have to pay when they went to hospital or to a health centre, it was paid for out of people’s taxes.
Malta had been able to create a healthcare system that provided nothing but the best for its patients, regardless of their financial situation, and could be compared to those of richer, bigger countries with more resources, Dr Gonzi said.
Not only did the government build Mater Dei Hospital but was building an oncology hospital, had extended the list of free medicines and created scholarships for doctors who wanted to pursue their specialisation abroad.
“We have the best expertise in the sector – not only doctors because the hospital is made up of nurses, professionals and other staff. But we must always remember that the patient comes first and our job is to ensure that,” he added.
Dr Gonzi also greeted the newly elected Nationalist-led Mosta council – the only one that shifted to blue from red in last week’s local council elections. The new council will work for Mosta’s families to help the locality move forward, he said.
Politics was not about winning or losing elections but about using the party’s abilities to help families improve their situations, Dr Gonzi added.
Health Minister Joe Cassar said 44,000 operations were carried out at Mater Dei Hospital last year – an increase of 11,000 compared to the last working year of St Luke’s Hospital.
Nine million interventions or visits on patients took place last year and more than 120,000 patients were targeted when the free medicine schedule was doubled to 79 from 38, Dr Cassar said.
“Sometimes all we hear are complaints but these are just a small percentage of all that is done,” he added. Through an agreement with the Italian authorities, patients will be able to have lung transplants, which need to take place within three hours. Also, cardiac MRI will be offered in Malta. The health authorities have just issued a call for tenders to revamp and redo the Mosta health centre and this forms part of a government project to improve other clinics.
Health centres were a vital part of the healthcare system and had more than 400,000 patients last year, Dr Cassar said.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party called on Dr Gonzi to explain how the quality of health service was not going to deteriorate with a budget cut of €8.5 million.