A decision by the Health Minister to split the cardiac department at Mater Dei Hospital in two was “ignorant”, according to consultant and Nationalist MP Albert Fenech.

Prof. Fenech made the comment in court where he is seeking a permanent injunction to stop Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia from going ahead with the split.

Prof. Fenech said the Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology departments had been amalgamated precisely for the benefit of patients and the decision to split them was made out of “ignorance”.

He added: “There was no scientific, administrative or reasonable explanation given for the split.”

Prof. Fenech had been one of the consultants behind the amalgamation of the two departments 19 years ago. In 1995 he had been put in charge of the Cardiac Surgery Department, at the same time that Prof. Alex Manché had been put in charge of the Cardiology Department.

There was no scientific, administrative or reasonable explanation given for the split

Due to administrative and coordination issues that impacted patients, it was decided to merge the two into a Department for Cardiac Services, of which he was chairman for 10 years.

During his testimony yesterday, Prof. Fenech argued that even the largest hospital in the world, Cleveland Clinic, which had 150 doctors, followed the same system as in Malta.

Last week, Prof. Fenech filed for an injunction that was temporarily upheld by the courts and could be made permanent if he manages to convince the court that such a measure would be detrimental to patients’ health.

He said he was shocked when he heard that the government had used waiting lists to justify the split.

The department had brought waiting times down from one year to one month and they had the faculty of carrying out surgery immediately or the following day depending on the urgency.

He noted how the main problem was the shortage of nursing staff to man the two operating theatres and they could only fully staff one at the moment.

Prof. Fenech lamented that despite having years of experience in the field, having run the department for a decade, he was never consulted nor asked for his opinion on the matter.

Mr Justice Joseph R. Micallef asked the lawyers to present what further documentary evidence they had and said he expected to give a ruling by Christmas Eve.

Consultant and Nationalist MP Albert Fenech. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi