Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne said there was no need for shadow health minister Claudette Buttigieg to alarm people with her talk of beds in hospital ward extensions not being equipped to take the CPR trolley.

Every bed at Mater Dei Hospital was equally equipped for CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation), which was done mainly by hand and mouth, he said. CPR trolleys existed in all wards and their extensions – which the Opposition called “corridors”.

Asserting that she was not out to create public alarm, Dr Buttigieg asked if it was possible there had been cases when the CPR trolley had not got to a patient on time.

Mr Fearne said he had nothing to add.

The written answer to Dr Buttigieg’s original PQ, by Health Minister Konrad Mizzi, said the CPR trolley had been called for once in the paediatric area, in December, twice in January and once in February, in the extension to Medical Admissions Unit 1.