Franco Mercieca’s valuable contribution

Little did I know about iritis and the worries it brings along with it, until a very young member of our family was diagnosed with it.

Iritis is an inflammation that affects the coloured ring of tissue surrounding the pupil. Steroid eye drops decrease the inflammation but their long-term usage may cause complications like cataract and glaucoma, which in our case were both encountered.

Follow-up care with an ophthalmic surgeon is essential and Franco Mercieca has so far done so with absolute and total dedication.

Unlike in other countries, in Malta a child suffering from chronic iritis does not get any help from any iritis support groups, mostly because this is a rare condition in children. The only person a patient and his family can turn to for support is their ophthalmic specialist.

Patients feel safe knowing that their specialist continues to treat them at a later stage. A sudden change from one ophthalmologist to another would bring about a level of uneasiness in young patients.

The permission to practise granted to Mr Mercieca by the Prime Minister was a great relief for our family and we feel it is most justified and in the interest of patients. We totally agree that the code of ethics should be updated for today’s needs. It is easy to judge if you are not in the situation.

Mr Mercieca’s special permission to practise his profession should not be a political issue. It is plainly obvious that without his contribution the workload would be higher and patients would suffer. With one less essential surgeon such as Mr Mercieca, would a young individual be kept on a waiting list too, for a cataract surgery?