Over the past five years, I was extraordinarily privileged to have worked closely with a wide array of professionals and experts. Round the clock, I was fed with good, dedicated advice and supported by people who knew exactly what was happening on the ground, in our hospital and clinics.

This was of vital importance because the health sector is all about dealing with people at their most vulnerable position, when they need support the most.

Beyond the rough and tumble of partisan politics, I have always attempted to draw a line when it comes to politicising the health sector.

When it comes to policy, I feel it is crucial that both sides work towards consensus in the best interest of the health sector.

A well-oiled, functioning democracy requires a Parliament in which opposite sides work in the best interest of the nation. In the health sector, in particular, this continuous partnership is even more essential.

As Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil said in Parliament, the Opposition is committed to criticising constructively while keeping the Government in check. This also means lending our support when good initiatives are taken.

In Opposition, we will continue to see that the public is well catered for in medical and health services and will fight against any drop in standards in health care and treatment

In Opposition, we will continue to see that the public is well catered for in medical and health services and will fight against any drop in standards in healthcare and treatment.

We should all be proud of what our country has achieved in a relatively short period of time.

In the past legislature, we strived to provide the best service and care. We invested heavily in training for doctors, nurses and other professionals and developed a competency framework allowing pathways of progression along clinical, rather than exclusive managerial, ladders.

This policy has been taken on board by the Labour Administration.

We laid the groundwork for a new discharge planning liaison unit to plan ahead for the patient’s needs after his/her period in acute care.

We planned specialised clinics around the island’s health centres. We laid the foundation for the new Health Bill and planned an increase in the space and size of Mater Dei Hospital through the addition of further storeys on peripheral buildings.

These policy initiatives have also been taken on board by the new Administration.

The results are there for everyone to see. The work in reaching such high standards is not done for political gain; neither is it done for praise, personal accomplishment or otherwise. It is done in the best interests of Maltese families, who have not only come to expect such quality but deserve it.

Thorough research and meticulous planning goes into keeping such services available to the public and the Labour Administration should not ignore this.

In the past few months, as well as in the near future, projects such as the new Bone Density Unit at Gozo General Hospital, the new Health Bill, the specialised clinics at health centres, the increase in space at Mater Dei and the new Oncology Hospital will be finalised and implemented.

These initiatives were taken with the public’s best interest at heart and this line of thought should be what guides the new Administration in its decision making.

It is positive that the Government has chosen to forge ahead with these projects and we will support it in seeing them completed. It would be irresponsible of us to do otherwise.

But the new Labour Government would do well to recognise those who have worked on these projects throughout the past five years rather than exploit them for cheap political gain.

Indeed, I feel it is crucial that the new Administration acknowledges the work done by Malta’s unsung heroes: doctors, nurses, paramedics, professionals and policymakers in our public service who give all their energy to ensure that the health service is developed professionally and is sensitive to the needs of those who use it.

Let us continue on this path and work towards achieving what is in the best interest of Maltese families and the national interest.

Joseph Cassar is Opposition spokesman for health