[attach id=248124 size="medium"]Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca is still practising as an eye doctor. Photo: Paul Zammit Cutajar[/attach]

Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca has been granted “a limited waiver” by the Prime Minister to work as a surgeon in breach of the ministerial code of ethics.

Mr Mercieca, an eye surgeon, yesterday admitted for the first time that he was still seeing patients after being appointed to Cabinet last month.

However, the parliamentary secretary defended his actions, adding he was “the sole ophthalmic surgeon” specialising in cornea and anterior segment surgery; two specialised branches of eye surgery.

“I was given a very limited waiver by the Office of the Prime Minister to follow up cases where I am the sole medical practitioner in the field and dedicate a few hours a week to safeguard the interests of these patients,” Mr Mercieca said.

Questions sent to the Office of the Prime Minister remained unanswered by the time of going to print.

I was given a very limited waiver to follow up cases where I am the sole medical practitioner in the field

The Times asked whether taxpayers were paying for full- or part-time ministers and parliamentary secretaries; whether the code of ethics had changed; and whether other Cabinet members were given the OPM’s blessing to do private work.

Soon after taking office, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the code of ethics, which was drawn up in 1994, had to be updated to reflect today’s realities without elaborating on what he meant.

Subsequently, the OPM said the Cabinet secretary would set up a commission to review the code and draw up a fresh one for approval by Cabinet.

But until the new code is approved, Cabinet members are still bound by the code drawn up almost 20 years ago.

The code explicitly statesthat a Cabinet member is expected “not to continue with his private work” and “should devote his whole time to his official duties”.

The prohibition also covers consultancies, attendance at offices and clinics to give professional advice, even if the work is not remunerated.

Mr Mercieca said he was not being paid for medical services rendered in the public hospital but received remuneration for private practice.

Last week he performed at least two surgical interventions on patients in a private hospital.

Dr Mercieca stressed the medical cases he dealt with were limited to those where he was sole medical practitioner.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com