The Nationalist Party this evening denied that the former government and the hospital administration had not started to implement the recommendations of a report commissioned by the former Health Minister from Johns Hopkins University.

The claim was made earlier in the day by the Ministry of Health, which said that the report had cost the country $1.347 million, and yet no work was done on the implementation of its recommendations.

In a statement over the situation at Mater Dei's Emergency Department, the ministry said that while the report’s recommendations were not implemented, the situation at the department continued to deteriorate, with longer waiting times and more people on stretchers in the corridors.

The ministry said a new multi-disciplinary team set up by Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia is considering various ways to ease the problems, including the use of the nearby ambulance garage. Measures will be introduced immediately and in the medium and long-term.

PN REPLY

In its reply, the Nationalist Party said the commissioning of the report by the former government showed its commitment to ensure that patients had the best possible care.

The report was approved by the then Ministry of Health and handed to the CEO of Mater Dei Hospital for implementation.

The CEO started the process of implementation and passed on the part relevant to the Emergency Department to the clinical chairman.

The management was also given the backing and the authority to start to implement the recommendations which could be taken in hand immediately, and those which were long term.

The PN said the biggest challenges for the Emergency Department stemmed from demand, human resources and bed space.

The former government kept these as its priority, and as a result the hospital today had a record number of doctors and nurses, including consultants at the Emergency Department. The number of beds in this department was increased and there was a 'significant increase' in care and services provided in the primary care service so that fewer patients needed to go to Mater Dei.

"Contrary to what was alleged in the Health Ministry's statement, the former government made good progress in the implementation of the recommendation made by Johns Hopkins University.

"The present minister should not seek banal excuses to hide his failures after the many promises which were made," the PN said, adding that it hoped that the government would continue to work on the advice given by the foreign experts in the the local context."