Health Minister and family doctor Godfrey Farrugia has categorically denied that he continued to see patients since being appointed to Cabinet.

A report in The Malta Independent had alleged that Dr Farrugia was seeing patients and accepting appointments at his Żebbuġ clinic as recently as last Thursday.

The ministerial code of ethics forbids Cabinet members from continuing their private work throughout their tenure, even if the work is done for free.

But in a statement Dr Farrugia insisted the report was incorrect and that he had been seeing people in his constituency office, which was in the same office block as his clinic.

While the clinic was situated on the ground floor alongside a pharmacy, the minister’s constituency office was on the third floor with a separate entrance, the statement noted.

Dr Farrugia’s patients have been reassigned to doctors Josianne Sammut, Sandra Gauci and David Sciberras, the ministry statement said.

The statement did not, however, explain how or why The Malta Independent correspondent had been offered an appointment for May 2 with Dr Farrugia and given his e-mail and mobile phone numbers for use in urgent cases.