Albert Fenech. Photo: Darrin Zammit LupiAlbert Fenech. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

When the hospital’s internal newsletter announced the appointment of the chairman of a new cardiology department, Albert Fenech was not surprised.

He had guessed the name almost two months ago after publicly contesting the government’s decision to split the cardiac department.

Prof. Fenech, a cardiac specialist and Nationalist MP, recorded the name in a sworn declaration in front of a notary on February 20 and deposited the sealed envelope with this newspaper.

The note in the letter signed in front of notary Maria Briffa read: “The name of the appointed candidate is Dr Robert G. Xuereb.”

Dr Xuereb’s appointment as chairman was announced in Kura, an internal hospital newsletter for staff members, last week.

When contacted yesterday, Prof. Fenech insisted he was no fortune-teller. “It does not take a bright spark to understand what happened and how the split was purely a decision to give this guy the job,” he said.

The note signed by Prof. Fenech two months ago.The note signed by Prof. Fenech two months ago.

But Dr Xuereb rejected the accusation when speaking to this newspaper about his appointment.

“I rebut any allegation that the split was meant to create an opening so that I would be given the job. My post has been awarded after my application, together with those of others, was processed according to normal procedures.”

He insisted the decision to split the cardiac services was taken by the health authorities and ought to be respected.

“It should be pointed out that it was only one specialist who had filed a warrant of prohibitory injunction but the court refused his request to stop the setting up of the new cardiology department,” he said with reference to Prof. Fenech’s failed attempt to stop the split by filing a court injunction.

The departments of cardiology and cardiac surgery were joined 10 years ago with one chairman responsible for the coordination of heart disease.

Prof. Fenech, who chaired the cardiac services department, had told the court that “there was no scientific, administrative or reasonable explanation given for the split” and described the move as “ignorant”. He had argued the new set-up would be a disservice to patients since medical and surgical services would no longer fall under the same department.

The government’s decision to split the department was opposed by nine of the 11 cardiac consultants, with Dr Xuereb being one of the two who favoured the split. Asked whether he felt comfortable working as chairman of a department most colleagues had opposed, Dr Xuereb insisted that throughout his years of service he always managed to work closely with other consultants.

He noted that, since his appointment as chairman, he had the “full support” of all consultant cardiologists, specialists and trainees.

“It is worth mentioning that I have recently been elected president of the Maltese Cardiac Society... this shows the trust that my colleagues have further placed in me. I hope that even the ‘specialist’ who seemed to have been against will fall into line.”

Dr Xuereb refuted the suggestion the split will not benefit patients, adding that it would help solve the problems plaguing the department, particularly waiting lists.

“The department was in the perverse situation that, without the split, the chairman, if a cardiologist, would have been responsible for procurement of cardiac surgical items whereas a cardiac surgeon would be responsible for the procurement of coronary stents and other cardiology items,” he said.

Having a distinct cardiology department led by a cardiologist was in line with what was done in the vast majority of international cardiac centres, he added.

Dr Xuereb said an agreement was reached with the cardiac surgery department led by Alex Manché, a cardiac surgeon, to set up specialised cross-departmental teams to manage common patients.

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