The Żurrieq local council has been given clearance to run a health clinic for the community.

Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne and Local Government Parliamentary Secretary Stefan Buontempo yesterday presided over a ceremony during which the clinic was transferred to the council.

“This is bang in the centre of the community and will be run by the council,” Dr Buontempo said.

Mr Fearne said the government was working on increasing the level of care and prevention. “We believe a lot of diseases, especially chronic ones, can be prevented through a healthier lifestyle”.

In fact, health clinics in the community would start offering one-on-one sessions dealing with health promotion and education on how to live a healthier lifestyle. A number would also set up breastfeeding rooms.

The incidence of chronic diseases was increasing in Malta, which also had an ageing population, Mr Fearne said. These could start being treated in the community through health clinics, which would lead to a more efficient use of resources and ease the workload at Mater Dei Hospital.

“We are strengthening our services in hospital and also bringing them close to the community,” he said, pointing out that such a move also empowered localities.

There are 54 health clinics in Malta and Gozo and a recent independent study found that many of these are in an abandoned state. One in Santa Luċija has been declared unsafe due to an unstable ceiling and repair works are in progress, Mr Fearne said.

When asked about criticism levelled at the government in relation to a proposal to privatise health centres, Mr Fearne said it would strengthen the service that was already offered. Reiterating that government healthcare would always remain free, Mr Fearne said private-public partnerships would allow the authorities to “use the resources of the private sector to implement capital projects for which the government would often not have funds”.