The Prime Minister has ordered that a tent set up outside Mater Dei Hospital today be removed.
A spokesman for the OPM said that because of the situation the government inherited from the previous administration certain decisions had to be taken. But although the intention was good, the decision to erect a tent and put the reception area there was wrong.
The tent was set up in front of the hospital's Day Care Unit to serve as a temporary reception area until next month in case of an influx of patients suffering from influenza.
Its setting up was followed by a directive to nurses from the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses to carry out just one specific role as from tomorrow.
President Paul Pace said the directive meant that, for example, surgical nurses should only carry out surgical duties and not medicinal and administrative roles, as was currently the situation.
Nurses were also instructed not to perform nursing duties under any tents.
The union said it was registering a dispute with the hospital and would be issuing the directives without notice in line with the civil service agreement.
A spokesman for the ministry said that as an influx of patients because of influenza was the norm at this time of this year, the government was being proactive and taking preparatory measures.
Should the influx not happen, the tent would not be used. But if it became necessary to transfer the reception area to the tent, the actual reception area of the Day Care Unit would be turned into a treatment area.
But the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said that patients would now have to wait in tents as more patients on stretchers were accommodated in the reception area."The long standing problems in MDH are just being shifted in corridors and reception areas... It is a pity since this is causing more patient suffering..."
The MUMN added that nurses were suffering with patients. They were not being involved in the decision making process and those who were in day surgery were angry at the way they were being treated by management. They were "disappointed and demotivated", it said.
"Nurses are being treated in shameful manner with all hospital policies being broken due to bed shortages," the MUMN said.
Decision insensitive and demeaning - PN
In a statement issued prior to the Prime Minister's order, the Nationalist Party said that as a result of the decision, patients who used to wait for an operation or intervention at a reception area in hospital would now have to wait outside. This was being done in the middle of winter.
It said the government’s decision was unexplainable, insensitive and demeaned patients’ dignity. Patients making use of Mater Dei Hospital should be welcomed in a civilised and comfortable place especially considering their increased vulnerability in the circumstances.
The tent set up outside the hospital was a symbol of mediocrity and lack of ideas from the government who was elected on the call that it would improve healthcare.
Besides the lack of consultation, it was taking an insensitive decision which indicated the state of panic it was in. Through this action, the only people who would suffer were the patients and this could already be seen through the recent decision to cancel a number of operations.
The Nationalist Party appealed to the minister to withdraw its decision and do all that was necessary for patients to be given the care they deserved in dignity.
It was because it knew that there were special challenges in the sector that the Opposition had proposed the setting up of a Parliamentary health committee .
The PN would continue working for patients to remain at the centre of every decision taken in the sector and would continue to offer solutions which addressed challenges rather than created more problems for patients, the party said.