Mater Dei Hospital needs 500 more beds to handle acute cases, 100 more than the figure estimated by the Health Ministry last January, according to a report co-authored by the World Health Organisation.
The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies reviewed Malta’s health system as part of its Health System in Transition series, updating the last review conducted in 1999.
The report notes that the number of beds in acute hospitals is below the EU average and has decreased by around 28 per cent over the past decade.
On average, 80 per cent of acute beds in Maltese hospitals are taken up, compared to the EU average of almost 76 per cent.
The number of specialist physicians, dentists and nurses per capita are also below the EU average, except for paediatricians, pharmacists and midwives.
Government expenditure on health is in decline despite the fact that it is “relatively low” by EU standards. In recent years, the increase in private spending has outpaced public health expenditure growth.
WHO’s country-based reports assess developments in terms of organisation and governance, financing, health-care provision, reforms and performance.
The report points to the existing gap between demand and supply: “A major challenge for the health system is ensuring sustainability, as Malta faces increasing demands from its citizens, an ageing population and the rising costs of medicine and technology.”
The picture painted by the report is reflected on the ground, particularly in relation to crowding.
Times of Malta witnessed the situation first hand this week, after spending some hours going around problem areas in the hospital to get a better picture of what patients were facing.
A new ward recently opened at Mater Dei is already taking in more patients than it can handle and accommodating people in the hall at its entrance.
The patients’ beds were removed from the corridor of Medical Admissions Unit 4 the day after the story was published.
Still, the bed shortage problem at Mater Dei is as dire as ever, particularly at the emergency section where makeshift wards are being created in corridors blocked off by temporary partitions. The conditions make it impossible for patients to have any privacy or adequate personal facilities.
Replying to questions from Times of Malta, the Health Ministry said the aim was to introduce 55 new beds this year and another 68 beds in 2015. In addition, the space to be created at the hospital after the move of the Haematology and Rainbow wards to the new oncology centre will be used to increase acute beds.
“It is pertinent to point out that patients’ discharge pathway is hindered by an inadequate availability of long-term beds at rehabilitation and elderly resident facilities. Unfortunately, these patients occupy precious space at Mater Dei’s acute facility,” the ministry said, while blaming the previous administration for never addressing this shortfall.