Over 70 vacancies for a range of health professionals, including physiotherapists and radiographers, will be filled following an agreement reached between their union and the Health Department.

Following the agreement, the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin lifted the industrial action issued to about 800 State healthcare workers, known as allied healthcare workers.

About 75 new graduates will be employed, by the first week of February, to start addressing the staff shortages experienced by the healthcare workers, according to Gian Paul Gauci from the union’s health services section.

The action, which started on December 10, involved all staff in all government healthcare facilities, including Mater Dei Hospital, health centres, St Vincent de Paul, Karin Grech Rehabilitation Hospital and Mount Carmel Psychiatric Hospital.

They were instructed not to answer calls or send e-mails, among other things.

The union had been complaining about the lack of staff for years and claimed that allied workers were treated as belonging to lesser professions.

It insisted that all 80 new graduates would be recruited to start alleviating the workload.

Yesterday, Mr Gauci said the government committed itself to employ about 75 graduates as some had already found jobs in the meantime.

This was confirmed by the Health Ministry that said an agreement was reached on Thursday between the Health Department and UĦM such that vacancies for allied health professionals within the Health Department will be filled.

A timeframe for implementation of this agreement was also agreed upon.

The allied health workers are made up of 10 professions: physiotherapists, medical lab specialists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, podiatrists, dental technologists, dental hygienists, audiologists, perfusionists (who assist during heart surgery) and radiographers.