Malta's healthcare is envy of Europe - PM
Malta's healthcare is envy of Europe - PM
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi this evening applauded former Health Minister Louis Deguara and other previous health ministers as he boasted about Malta's healthcare which he described as the envy of Europe.
Criticising Labour for constantly slamming the health sector at the expense of workers who were doing their best, Dr Gonzi said Malta managed to give quality healthcare freely and completely while also cutting the deficit.
"In America, Barack Obama is still struggling to introduce free healthcare," he told supporters in Attard.
He said he wanted to take the opportunity to thank Dr Deguara for his contribution in transferring the hospital from St Luke's to Mater Dei Hospital. He also applauded "other previous ministers" but thanked Dr Deguara for working hand in hand with him at the time.
Dr Gonzi said the new cancer hospital would have 96 beds, replacing Boffa Hospital's 27 beds.
Dr Gonzi said the Government's breast screening initiative had saved 160 patients by diagnosing cancer at an early stage. The breast screening centre was now being called a national screening centre because its services would be extended to colon and cervix screening. Meanwhile, eczema would start to qualify as a chronic illness so treatment could also be given freely.
He said Cyprus had sent a delegation to Malta to follow its example on breast screening but later realised it did not have the finances to fund the initiative.
Dr Gonzi warned that in certain countries pharmacies could not even afford to supply medicines because they were owed so much money from their bankrupt governments and banks were unwilling to lend money.
He urged people not to risk everything Malta had achieved by handing power to people who took decisions depending on who applauded them most rather than what was in the country's best interest.
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Pep Fletcher MD
Feb 9th, 10:24
Wrong to assume that we outside Malta don't know what's going on. Mater Dei is a wonderful hospital, but should have more beds than the hospital it replaced! A shame that unused capacity at other hospitals, such as the one in St Venera, hasn't been used. I doubt that 'envious' officials at the UK Dept Health will be heading to Malta - they're more than capable of making the same mistakes.
Joe Grech
Feb 6th, 19:24
If memory serves me right the new Cancer Block being built was originally to be supplied by the contracter who had built Mater Dei - and at no extra cost.
Why was such agreement not honoured?
Can anyone throw more light on this issue please?
Joe Grech
Feb 6th, 19:19
NOW Prime Minister speaks about taking decisions in the country's best interest. What a cheek!
During his administration he never administered accordingly. The environment has been further ruined; overbuilding continued; the theft of our national water and the pollution of our sea through Fish Farms continued. He overspent on barmy projects & and left Malta without parliament for too long.
Joe Grech
Feb 6th, 19:04
''Dr Gonzi said Malta managed to give quality healthcare freely...''
I personally believe that sooner or later Healthcare probably won't remain free. That's disappointing but unavoidable I think. the reason is given below:
Healthcare and Overspending, Inefficient Collection of Taxes, Corruption just don't go together.
M Grima
Feb 6th, 13:21
Where have I heard those famous three words 'Alice in Wonderland"?
Dr. Gonzi you are having very bad dreams or rather nightmares!!!!!
M Grima
Feb 6th, 13:19
"Lawrence Gonzi this evening applauded formerMinister Louis Deguara and other previous health ministers as he boasted about Malta's healthcare which he described as the envy of Europe"
Tell this to those 24,000 on the waiting list. Tell this to those pensioners who are repeatedly told that the medicine which they need is out of stock . A nice hospital doesn't guarantee a good health service!!!
Paul Cassar
Feb 6th, 11:32
THANKS TO PAST LABOUR GOVERNMENTS.
Joseph Grech Attard
Feb 6th, 09:48
Why compare always with Europe? As if the EU is the best in the world. GonziPN is always comparing with the worse rather than with the better. The PL criticises the MANAGEMENT of the health services, which is not good, and not the persons who do their best to give the service. You are being deceitful PM! Not very ethical or moral, is it? Why did Gonzi PN destroy the Health Centres?
W. Cassar
Feb 6th, 09:45
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Europe
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/97598/E91713.pdf
In 2000 we were 5th in the EU.
Malta spends $1733pp while the top country Luxenbourg spends $5178 (2004 data)
John L Galea
Feb 6th, 07:21
GOnzi is just living in a fairytale.
Joe Tanti
Feb 6th, 00:22
I would be surprised that Europe knows where Malta is let alone envy it.
DC Agius
Feb 5th, 23:53
Ghal dawk il-pazjenti bhali li ma setghux jistennew fil-waiting list twila ghal operazzjoni f'idi u kelli naghmilha privat biex ma nkompliex mugghuh, is-servizz tas-sahha ma kien xejn b'xejn! Issa se jghatini refund (partzjali) Gonzipn bhal ma' wieghed li ser jaghmel dwar il-medicini?
John Grima
Feb 5th, 20:36
I am not complaining about patients being sent overseas for treatment but what I find objectionable is making wild claims that the Maltese health service is the envy of Europe.
John Grima
Feb 5th, 20:35
If the healthcare in Malta is the envy of Europe why are so many Maltese patients sent overseas for treatment. So much so that in the UK there is a property built specifically for the use of Maltese patients and the Nuns in the London convent run what is basically a hotel for Maltese patients sent over to the UK by the Maltese government.
C Sant
Feb 5th, 23:50
Simple - the procedures require that the specialists performing them have a certain number of cases per year so as to be certified that one can perform them e.g. bone marrow transplants. In the case of Malta, the number would be too small for this certification to be reached. It has nothing to do with politics but just medical practice. The same mistake as Muscat when he visited the Blood Bank.
John Grima
Feb 6th, 11:19
C. Sant
You have obviously missed the point of my 3 contributions. All I was commenting on was making wild claims that the Maltese medical service is the envy of Europe. Why is it that every comment made must have a political connotation and be classified either as blue or red.
John Grima
Feb 5th, 20:31
As far as I know in the UK patients are never refused medicines because they are out of stock (unlike what happens in Malta). At worst they might have to weight 12 hours until the pharmacy has the stock delivered by the supplier. We may have had a lot of cutbacks in the national health but it is still a damn sight better than what is available in Malta.
Adrian Camilleri
Feb 5th, 20:26
hahahahaha dehlin fil gimgha tal Karnival qisna LOL
m farrugia
Feb 5th, 21:58
sur camilleri sakemm tidhol int jew xi hadd jigi minnek b'xi haga serja l-isptar, alla jilliberak, titkellem hekk. hemm tkun taf x'isarraf l-isptar, taghmel xi 3 xhur l itu, u wara li jonfqu fuqek minn ta lanqas xi 10000 euro tohrog haj u terga tibda tghix. u xi nghidu ghat twelid .qabel fetah mater dei hafna kienu iwelldu fi sptarijiet privati u ihallsu mill anqas 600lm, illum bil maqlub.
Francis Sammut
Feb 5th, 20:25
Mr. Prime Minister, free health care for everybody is not sustainable whatever you and Labour leader J. Muscat say. So according to you Cyprus did not have the means to launch a breast cancer screening? Ok. fair enough. But I ask, how can we carry-on like this, with the deficit and debt going up every year? If they want to tell the truth they ought say that we cannot give to all for free.
jesmond zammit
Feb 5th, 20:24
mhux kullhadd xortieh tajba u jista jibqa diehel jopera ruhu u filghodu jkun barra...hawn min ilu 5 snin jistenna katarretta ...
B. Borg
Feb 5th, 20:23
Each time the PM is mentioning Cyprus is ignoring that this country just sign contracts to start extracting and feeding Europe in few years time with natural gas from its huge Aphrodite Oil Fields with revenues much higher its current GDP , as even was reported by this news portal.
C. Bartoli
Feb 5th, 20:23
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/120292/E72500.pdf
Claudio Cilia
Feb 5th, 21:52
thats from 2001
B. Borg
Feb 5th, 20:16
Now I am sure that Gonzi doesn't know that half of the services he is mentioning are only on his papers marked done, and not yet available for us common mortals like the POYC to mention one of many
John Dee
Feb 5th, 19:59
Obviously not spent 8 hours waiting to see a doctor (or even a nurse) at our flagship hospital. Pride of Europe? I think not!
W. Cassar
Feb 5th, 22:59
Yip I have spent 8 hours too disgrace!
Daniel Zarb
Feb 5th, 19:38
They envy that it's free. But frankly they don't envy anything else.
Joe Busuttil
Feb 5th, 20:19
It's not free. You pay taxes for the service. On the second point ,you are right. Dr Gonzi should have made a tour of the hospital corridors.
Please choose the reason of your report below: