Mater Dei Hospital CEO Ivan Falzon has categorically denied lifesaving CPR equipment was not at hand when an 83-year-old woman being treated in a makeshift ward in a corridor stopped breathing and died.

The claim had been made earlier by Opposition health spokeswoman Claudette Buttigieg, who said the equipment needed to save the elderly patient’s life was not at hand.

She claimed there was no CPR trolley to resuscitate patients in case of cardio-pulmonary complications, no suction systems used to treat patients with respiratory difficulties and no health monitors.

Reacting to the claims yesterday evening, Mr Falzon said that while investigations into the case were still under way, the patient was in fact administered CPR.

The CPR kit was located six metres from the patient

The makeshift ward was equipped with a CPR kit, located six metres away from the patient.

The 25 patients in the ward were being monitored by four nurses, which was well within the established ratio.

Clinical director Joseph Zarb Adami said the patient was admitted on January 1 with heart problems. After being treated for 18 days, the consultant felt she was stable enough to be sent home.

However, on the way home, she collapsed and was rushed to emergency, where she was admitted to the extended ward.

At 5.40am, she was administered drugs orally. The CPR call made by a staff member who realised she was unconscious and not breathing was registered at 6am. At 6.35am, she was declared dead.

Dr Zarb Adami said that apart from the CPR equipment, “there is the ITU and Emergency unit right opposite. So even if there were no apparatus, within less than 50 metres there are five sets of CPR equipment.”

He added that the makeshift ward had all the equipment found in an acute medical ward, including electrical plugs, oxygen cylinders and drugs.

Mr Falzon said the difference was in terms of comfort, as wards were equipped with television sets and more toilets.

Ms Buttigieg had said the incident served to expose Labour’s failure to address hospital overcrowding, as it had pledged.

She questioned whether patients had to wash with wipes since the only toilet available was shared with dozens of visitors and medical staff. She also asked whether patients who had been admitted to these makeshift wards for simple observation had been exposed to serious infections.

Mr Falzon said in the first two weeks of January there had been 425 more admissions than in the same period last year. He admitted it was “worrying” that the makeshift wards were not equipped with enough sanitary facilities.

“We are working to address the situation,” he said.

“Over the past few months we have increased Mater Dei’s bed capacity. We have entered into agreements with the private sector to increase the number of beds. Thanks to the Social Solidarity Ministry, a number of bed blockers were transferred from Mater Dei to free up more beds.

“The emergency unit extension should be completed later this year while the completion date of the oncology centre has also been sped up, which will allow for a breather in terms of bed capacity.

“We hope that in coming months we’ll be able to change direction when it comes to people making use of Mater Dei beds,” he said.