Physiotherapists, radiographers and occupational therapists are among 800 State healthcare workers participating in an industrial action called in protest at “unaddressed staff shortages”.
They are acting on a directive issued by the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin not to answer phone calls or e-mails. Other directives vary according to the sector. Physiotherapists, for example, will not be carrying out work in the community and will not attend ward rounds.
The action, which started on Wednesday, will continue unless the government employs all 80 new graduates in a bid to start addressing the staff shortages, according to Gian Paul Gauci, from the union’s health services section.
The industrial action involves 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.
The UĦM says it represents more than 800 employees, known as allied healthcare workers.
The group is 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.
Mr Gauci said the union had been complaining about the lack of staff for years, including under the previous Nationalist administration.
“We are being treated as a lesser profession,” he said. It was frustrating to see the government employing hundreds of nurses and doctors to address the staff shortage in those sectors but then could not find enough funds to employ new staff in the 10 professions in question.
Having made the same request of years, Mr Gauci said the union had no choice but to make their voice heard through industrial action.
The union was insisting all 80 new graduates would be recruited to start alleviating the workload.There was the risk the graduates would be lost to the private sector, he said.
Asked for a reaction, a spokesman for the Parliamentary Secretariat for Health said that while it was committed to continue providing the best health service possible, “recruitment happens in line with service needs and priorities”.
The spokesman said that a number of recently-graduated professionals had already been given their letter of appointment. “The government pledges its commitment to continue recruiting in an efficacious, accountable and transparent manner.”