Updated - Labour to raise spending on health centres by €8m
Labour to raise spending on health centres by €8m.
Updated - Adds secretariat's reaction -- A Labour government would increase spending on health centre by €8 million in order to improve their infrastructure and services, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.
Speaking outside Paola health centre, Dr Muscat said a Labour government would hold talks with the private sector on a possible collaboration for the opening of a health centre in the Zurrieq-Kirkop area.
He said Labour would introduce a medicines home delivery service for the infirm and those aged over 70 at a total government cost of some €500,000.
Labour would also be committed to reducing waiting lists, with priority being given to appointments for examinations relating to possible cancer.
The breast-screening service would be extended to more women, and talks would be held on the possibility of screening for osteoporosis at the same time as the breast examination.
Dr Muscat said a Labour government would ensure that the Mental Health Bill became law as soon as possible.With regard to the waiting list for operations, he said that surgeons would be encouraged to use the Mater Dei Operating theatres after hours to raise the utilisation rate and cut down on waiting lists. Referring to Dr Gonzi's comments yesterday after contractors being close to the PL, Dr Muscat said that was a bit rich from a political leader who, he said, had accepted a €350,000 donation from a contractor.
HEALTH MINISTER SAYS SERVICES ALREADY EXIST
Health Joe Cassar this afternoon said both a Mental Health Act and free home delivery of Minister medicines were already in place. A Mental Health Act had been passed by parliament last December, with Dr Muscat himself voting in favour of it, Dr Cassar said.
The Home Help programme run by the Secretariat for the elderly and community care also involved carers picking medicines up for their patients, Dr Cassar said.
"Has Dr Muscat done his homework? The service already exists," he said.
Asked on what basis people could sign up to the Home Help programme, Dr Cassar said acceptance was subject to assessment by social workers. He did not specify what made a person eligible.
Dr Cassar also said the PL's osteoporosis screening plans were the result of misinformed leak.
"We're in the final stages of consultation to introduce osteoporosis screening practices in line with UK guidelines, with family doctors charged with keeping tabs and referring patients for a bone screen if they need it," Dr Cassar said.
"I imagine someone leaked the information to Dr Muscat but got it backwards. The optimal age for osteoporosis screening is not the same as that of breast cancer, as the PL is suggesting."
44 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Mario Spiteri
Feb 4th, 19:04
Continuing list of shameful inadequacies at St Luke's Hospital under a Labour regime:Ex,Rubber gloves in Main Operating Theatres & patient diagnostic items/materials collected for repeat recycling at the Central Sterilisation Supplies Unit,Special non-formulary medicinals were restricted to the bare minimum,generally reserved for the Consultants' elite Private Patients.Today MD Hospital is a gem.
Mario Spiteri
Feb 4th, 18:29
Malta's Labour record on Health is abyssmal:Capricious closure of Church Private Hospitals spiting the Religious sentiment of the Maltese,Capricious LockOut of Maltese medical specialists,absolute miserliness at St Luke's Hospital with infested wards ex:M1,M2,WS3 etc reaching the confines at supracapacity
K. Vella
Feb 4th, 16:39
"Dr Muscat said a Labour government would ensure that the Mental Health Bill became law as soon as possible."
Fit-3 ta’ Diċembru l-Mental Health Bill ġiet approvata mit-Tielet Qari mill-Parlament.
Fis-7 ta’ Diċembru l-Mental Health Bill ġiet iffirmata mill-President u ppubblikata fil-Gazzetta tal-Gvern bħala l-Att 22 tal-2012.
Where are the journalists? This is not for real!!!
S Sammut
Feb 4th, 23:18
So so true!!!
S Sammut
Feb 5th, 06:20
Shameful!!!!
K.G. Vella
Feb 4th, 15:44
If osteoporosis programs are on the cards why aren't they on the PN Manifesto? I'm sorry but apart from this blunder Dr. Cassar one only has to remember how you wanted us to belive that HFO is good for our health. I'm guessing you will soon be moving to Dellimara to improve your health!
B Ellul
Feb 4th, 15:42
opps JM.... still in time to update your electoral manifest and make the neccessary corrections...hope you haven't printed it yet!!!!
S Sammut
Feb 5th, 06:21
Haha good one! :)
George Cutajar
Feb 4th, 15:02
Do JM and Labour know what is going on in the health sector? He wants to pass into law the Mental Health Act which is already law, he wants to deliver medication when this already done. He promises what is already in place. Can we have some decent and fresh ideas and proposals?
D Axisa
Feb 4th, 15:41
I think you are wrong, because it seems that although the law was passed through parliament , there wasn't any legal notice to put this law in use.
K.G. Vella
Feb 4th, 15:47
Dear George,
Long time no see! Anyways, I know that you believe what Joe Cassar states because you want to but this is the same guy who says that there are no medicines out of stock - and Lawrence Gonzi now is admitting that there are several. It is also the guy who denies that there are people on stretchers in Mater Dei corridors.
W. Cassar
Feb 4th, 14:51
I know a thing or two about the home help programme, the helpers are not reliable often not turning up at the last minute as they are sick or some other excuse!
A Galea
Feb 4th, 14:24
I thought labour was a socialist party, a people's party. It seems they are becoming the opposite of what they were. Capitalists!!
Leslie Darmanin
Feb 4th, 15:07
No it is much worse.
Rewind to Labour's energy plans:
Labour is to sell the only power station to the private sector and, more probable than not, second Enemalta employees to the private investor to run their power station.
In return, the new energy monopolists will be asked to keep their prices low for 2 Labour legislatures.
This is not capitalism, it's just an immoral deal.
Mr Joseph Azzopardi
Feb 4th, 16:55
@Leslie Darmanin - Nobody is selling our powerstation. Enemalta is to remain the firm that provides electricity, but instead of it being produced by Enemalta, it's produced by a private firm that provides enemalta with electricity. And just as a reminder, this system will only produce 40% of the electricity needed in Malta.
Leslie Darmanin
Feb 4th, 13:55
The title to this article should be -
Opposition leader promises to enact a law already approved and to provide a home help service already existent.
Why does Malta deserve such fate?
Mhux bizzejjed (with apologies to Gensna):
"Mitna ghal xejn, mitna ghall-barrani".
Does Malta have to die once again for Labour?
Or is it, "Il-Moviment tal-Kuntratturi" we're dying for next?
Albert Spiteri
Feb 4th, 13:36
TIMES must realize that community health and care are MLP's creation during the Mintoff administration of the 70's and 80's. The only change PN and later GonżoPN did in this respect was close down clinics, reduce much of the services that remained open and spent half a billion euros on a state-of-the art inadequate general hospital. TIMES cannot come to terms with historic reality.
Mark. Galea
Feb 4th, 12:29
Malta tal-kuntratturi
Mary Pace
Feb 4th, 11:57
There are two Mary Paces it seems. To Mary pace at least this father Christmas will spend the people's money wisely and not on a roofless theater and an unwanted parliament.
MC Attard
Feb 4th, 12:49
Mary, have you ever heard about the concept of Capital Projects? Do you know that this puts money into our economy and create jobs?!
J Mifsud
Feb 4th, 18:34
Yes true mc attard. A roofless theater and a parliament will really improve the maltese economy. I already heard about tours for tourists to show the new parliament to try to get tourists to malta rather then going to visit louvre or vatican!
Mar Pace
Feb 4th, 19:42
Good One Mr. Mifsud!
Joseph Aquilina
Feb 4th, 11:50
Now tell me what I do not know. Tell me; Who are the contractors? What did lejber promise to these contractors?
Ronnie Callus
Feb 4th, 13:24
No they all throw allegations and mud but not prove as in the case of the oil commission where they told many that these are allegations. Where is Dr.Gonzi's Credibility and Honesty with us citizens.
Peter Simpson
Feb 4th, 11:24
GonziPN relegated the polyclinics and Labour will improve them and put them back into the frontline of our health system. Its no wonder we get long queues at the emergency department! GonziPN should say mea culpa for the distress it is causing to our pensioners and old people.
John L Galea
Feb 4th, 11:22
All those blue eyed elves criticising JM for what he is proposing, this proposal of increasing health centres expenditure by €8m is for the benefit of everyone, it will reduce a lot of pressure form Mater Dei, etc. According to your GOnziPN €49million are a drop in the ocean, then €8million definitely should not be a problem.
mary pace
Feb 4th, 10:45
we are in febuary & still FATHER XMAS is around!!!!!!!!!
Eddy Privitera
Feb 4th, 11:43
Yes, Tablets FOR ALL CHILREN irrespective of age. But not knowing WHEN, and HOW this will be done !!!! Don't ask Simon or Lawrence, they don't know !
anthony sultana
Feb 4th, 10:26
Labour is promising heaven in Malta, but who is going to pay for this heaven? I had been waiting all my life for an answer.They keep saying ,we are runing into the wall , we are already smashed in the wall, with this huge debt, and too much tax.Our future is going to be tax and spend, Capitalizem.
Cheryl Borg
Feb 4th, 12:30
i can give you an answer for that. a new goverment who will utilise people's taxes better and more efficiently instead of wasting money on unimportant stuff just to get votes. we do have a lot of debt but we also do have a lot of potential. Malta is full of brilliant people who will strive to get it to its feet, like Joseph Muscat, and I think that we all ought to at least give him a try.
Michael Seychell
Feb 4th, 15:14
Cheryl Borg - Dr.J. Muscat is so bright that he was against EU & the Euro, & gave the advise to Dr. Gonzi to follow the economic policy of Cyprus. Had we taken Dr. Muscat's advices we would be bankrupt like Cyprus, Spain, Greece & very soon Hollande's France.
Michael Seychell Tal-Pieta
adrian agius
Feb 4th, 10:22
and who is expected to do the home deliveries of medicines...these are not pizzas!!!
Cheryl Borg
Feb 4th, 12:31
people who will employed by the goverment. this is the proper way to really increase jobs and help the economy in malta not starting a project like smart city and spending millions on it, and then leaving the project standing there like a desert.
V. Cauchi
Feb 4th, 10:09
Here comes the Swiss cheese economy.
Mr Stephen Borg
Feb 4th, 10:26
Maybe such a measure would help reduce the congestion at the emergency section at Materdei Hospital because people with minor injuries and infirmities would ge to their local health centers rather then resorting directly to Materdei.
Lawrence Fenech
Feb 4th, 10:00
U il ministru 7,000,000 euro taghhom lura lil Gonzi biex jaghmlu tajjeb ghal-500 euro fil gimgha li kull wiehed ha, u apparti il fatt li jonqsu dejjem il-medicini u sodod fjask.
Andre Ellul
Feb 4th, 10:00
I am fed up. Rather than replying Muscat simply provides a sweeping statement.
Cheryl Borg
Feb 4th, 12:32
you clearly never listen to talks and meetings by Dr.Joseph Muscat.
Michael Seychell
Feb 4th, 15:21
Cheryl Borg - If you read Joe Muscat's comment on when asked to comment on what has been said by Dr. Anglu Farrugia yesterday - how he was politically killed by hs close friend, that is Dr. J.Muscat, and how the M/LP is controlled by contractors, you will have to agree with the comment of Andre Ellul.
Michael mSeychell Tal-Pieta
Paul Caruana
Feb 4th, 09:53
Improving/extending the services offered through existing and new health centers is essential if we are to start addressing the overuse of services at Mater Dei beyond its designated capacity.
By the way, if there is a change in government, are we going to change their names....again?
twanny borg
Feb 4th, 09:52
Weghdi, weghdi, flus, flus, christmas father, christmas father. Taxxi, taxxi.
Min se jhallas, min se jhallas??
Eddy Privitera
Feb 4th, 11:48
twanny borg; Qatt staqsejt min qed ihallas ghal sptar li sewa D-DOPPJU milli kien stmat u spiccajna minghajr sodod bizzejjed ?! U min qed ihallas ghal isptar tal-Kancer li suppost diga sar f'Mater Dei ? U min qed ihallas ghal-progetti bla sens bhal.parlament mostru ???
Michael Seychell
Feb 4th, 15:32
Eddy ahjar thidilna kemm ha flus - propjeta - il-Partit Laburista meta 'cedfa' il-Marsa Printing Press. Biex infakkrek il-Partit tieghek kien fost postijiet ohra Il-Macina u Australia Hall. Din ta' l-ahhar kienet inghatat lit-tifel ta' Joe Grima u saret Disco, u meta dan kisira mal Partit taghkhom, xi hadd haraqlu kull ma kellu, ir-Radio Station, id-Dar, il-Karozza u d-Disco.
M.Seychell Pieta
Mr Joseph Azzopardi
Feb 4th, 16:58
@Twanny, dawn il-proposti b'kollox ha jiswew EUR8.5m u indirizzati bix itejbu s-servizz tas-sahha. Gonzi se jonfoq EUR26m f'tablets lit-tfal. Kull gvern ikollu l-flus f'idejh, id-differenza hi l-mod u l-ghaqal li bihom jintefqu dawk il-flus. Tkunux redikoli iktar u tibqaw ssaqsu minn fejn ha jigu l-flus!
Please choose the reason of your report below: