The State’s only sexual health clinic has been closed for the past three weeks because the health authorities have failed to agree contractual terms with the only doctor qualified to run it.
Philip Carabot has been in the unique position of having his contract renewed annually since reaching retirement age four years ago as there is no consultant to take over from him at the GU Clinic.
However, public service regulations stipulate that contracts should not be renewed after the age of 65 save for exceptional circumstances. Dr Carabot celebrated his birthday in September.
When contacted, Dr Carabot said he was first offered a 20-hour week, which he felt was untenable seeing the clinic saw an average of 250 clients a month.
It was later stretched to three months, then six months and later a year, which he accepted.
However, on the same day, he discovered that an advert had been placed with the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, “urgently seeking a consultant for immediate employment due to retirement”.
He was baffled by this, but each time he attempted to seek clarifications he found the doors of communication firmly shut.
“I’m not expecting any special treatment. I fully appreciate that everybody has an expiry date and nobody is indispensable, least of all me,” Dr Carabot said.
I was expecting straight answers and honesty between colleagues, not Machiavellian intrigues
“But I resent the unprofessional way the whole thing has been handled. All I was expecting was straight answers and honesty between colleagues, not Machiavellian intrigues.”
Dr Carabot pointed out that the health authorities had been fully cognisant of the situation and should have tried recruiting long ago to ensure a proper handover.
“I’m not after the job myself. All I wanted to know was why get the advert out at the same time that I’m having the contract renewed?” he asked, adding that nobody would reply to his question.
The Sunday Times of Malta asked the Health Ministry the same question but so far has received no reply.
Seeing that he was getting nowhere, Dr Carabot left and in the meantime sexual health cases keep piling up, with appointments being repeatedly cancelled.
Dr Carabot had bookings lined up until November.
Asked if the government was taking any interim measures to address this situation and ensure the island’s only sexual health clinic would be reopened, the Health Ministry a ministry spokeswoman said:
“Dr Carabot was offered a post-retirement consultant contract, which he turned down.
“The Department of Health undertook several initiatives to address the situation and has identified a replacement who will be on board in the coming weeks.”
For years Dr Carabot was the lone crusader for sexual health in Malta and it was only after years of dogged persistence that a national sexual health policy eventually saw the light of day, following 10 years of incubation.