The pharmacist who claimed that discrimination was rife in the distribution of medicines has stood by her claim, saying whether it was political discrimination or not, it was still unacceptable.

“Political or not, discrimination should be condemned in all its forms,” Denise Ellul said.

“Moreover, this discrimination involving the health of patients should be regarded as a very serious issue because in no way can one patient be preferred over another.

“It’s unethical and should be stopped. As a pharmacist, it is my duty to treat all my patients equally regardless of race, religion and political beliefs.”

Ms Ellul was contacted after MEP candidates Miriam Dalli and Charlon Gouder last Friday said on TV discussion programme Xarabank that she had withdrawn her claims.

However, when contacted, they both said they were referring to Ms Ellul’s denial of political discrimination claims.

Ms Ellul had stopped short of saying it was political discrimination but had said there were cases of patients who called at the Health Ministry and received free medicines before others.

She had made the claim during a Nationalist Party political activity at the start of the European Parliament electoral campaign last month.

A government internal probe had found there was no discrimination on the basis of political allegiance.

The issue was also raised by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat during yesterday’s Broadcasting Authority debate, where he read a transcript of what Ms Ellul had said and which excluded the word political.