Former health minister Joe Cassar has expressed regret that the Labour Government stopped offering emergency services at St James Hospital over the weekend.

When it comes to services, the patient should always come first

“It is sad news – they said it was not being cost-effective any more but when it comes to services, the patient should always come first,” he told Times of Malta.

Launched one year ago by Dr Cassar, the emergency service allowed people in need of minor emergency consultations during weekends to seek assistance at the private St James hospitals in Żabbar or Sliema without payment.

It had been designed to ease the pressure on Mater Dei Hospital over the weekends, when the number of people going to the emergency department grows.

However, in a statement, the Health Ministry said the service was no longer going to be offered because “statistical analysis” showed it did not achieve its primary purpose of easing the load and, for the amount being spent, was not sustainable.

“This means that now the emergency department at Mater Dei will have to cater for another 150 people – that’s the number who used St James in the weekend,” Dr Cassar said.

He referred to the statement that said people could make use of the health clinics at Mosta, Paola and Floriana, which opened 24 hours. “These clinics are not equipped with digital X-Ray and ECG or blood tests,” he said.

That meant that people suffering from severe pain or other conditions that were classified as Area 3 would have to go to Mater Dei Hospital “whereas before they would go to St James and be fully diagnosed there”.

Many people used the service and the private hospitals were paid according to the number of patients. When asked how much it amounted to, Dr Cassar said he did not know. It also depended on the medical services used by the patient, he said.

“Our [the Nationalist government] priority was for patients to suffer less,” he said.