MUMN issues directives to nurses at E&A Department

Emergency and Accident Department nurses have been directed by their union not to go on ambulances which are defective.

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said in a statement that the emergency ambulance fleet was in an unacceptable state.

It said that it had so far been patient and refrained from issuing directives because of the essential service given by nurses in the department.

But the situation had now grown out of proportion and the ambulances had become unsafe for patients and nurses working on them.

It was unacceptable that an ambulance that was at midnight declared unfit for usage was put out for service at 7 a.m. when its faults had not been repaired.

There were other problems, including with the air conditioning system and seating. Relatives, patients or nurses sometimes used cable ties to put parts together.

Some ambulances also had non-functioning sirens.

The MUMN said although it had been told over and over again by the Health Division that a fleet of new ambulances would soon be purchased, it was clear that this was not the case.

The Health Department seemed to be more interested in hiring discarded ambulances from the UK from private contractors, to the detriment of the tax payers.

The MUMN said that new ambulances would only solve the problem temporarily and drastic measures were needed in the running of the ambulance garage system.