(Adds health department reaction)
Operations at Mater Dei Hospital may grind to a halt as staff who sterilise surgical tools have been ordered to limit themselves to emergency interventions.
The action was ordered on Wednesday by the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin which represents staff at the hospital’s Centre Sterile Surgical Department.
When contacted, UĦM president Jesmond Bonello said the union had been trying to negotiate a collective agreement for the staff, specialised paramedic aides, since 2010.
There was disagreement over the financial package as the Health Division did not “appreciate their work”. Action was initially ordered in Malta’s state hospital and was yesterday extended to the Gozo hospital.
Union members were ordered not to sterilise surgical equipment except in cases of emergencies. If the action goes ahead for much longer, it will impact scheduled surgeries and the already long waiting lists.
The UĦM also ordered industrial action in government pharmacies on Tuesday. The issue also concerns the financial package, this time of pharmacy technicians.
Mater Dei’s pharmacists are only dispensing medicines for emergency cases. Patients are only being given a three-day supply.
A woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, went there on Thursday to pick up essential medicines for her elderly parents. However, she was shocked to see sick and elderly people having to queue for their medicines and only receive a few days’ supply as opposed to two months.
“If they have an issue to solve they should not do it in a way that hurts patients. We are talking about sick, disabled and elderly people,” she said.
Asked why the union resorted to such harsh action, Mr Bonello replied: “After months of discussion, unfortunately, we had to resort to industrial action... Industrial action always impacts the clients of the service.”
The president of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, Paul Pace said he feared this would have negative repercussions on patients.
He pointed out that when, a few days ago, his union threatened industrial action, which never materialised, to tackle the situation at the ITU, the Medical Association of Malta criticised the MUMN.
“This is a drastic measure. Now that the UĦM ordered action that could stop operations altogether, the MAM does not seem to be critical or aware of the actions. Let the public be the judge,” he said.
When contacted, MAM president Martin Balzan said he had no comment to make.
When asked what measures the government was taking to tackle the situation, a Health Ministry spokesman also said he had no comments to make at this stage because the situation was fluid.
Directives will have 'severe negative impact' on patients - department
The Health Department said the directives to members within the Central Sterilisation Supplies Department at Mater Dei Hospital were targeted at the preparation of sterile equipment and instruments for elective surgical operations.
Such directives will lead to the cancellation of most planned operations at Mater Dei.
“It is considered appropriate to highlight that government has already agreed to the award of an additional allowance to these employees of €1,150 per annum upon signing of the agreement.
“This allowance is in line with the established parameters and given the particular nature of their work.
“Furthermore, a new career structure and further prospects for training for these employees was also agreed to, providing them with new career opportunities.”
The department said the main pending issue revolves around the mechanism for promotion, with the UHM insisting upon automatic promotion and assimilation at higher scales and the government insisting that all promotions be filled through a competitive call for applications based on meritocracy.
The government, the department said, has put forward an invitation to the union to attend a conciliation meeting to solve this impasse, but no reply was forthcoming to date.
On the directives to pharmacy technicians and pharmacists, the department said these were also in relation to a new sectoral agreement.
“The dispensing and preparation of medicines in government pharmacies and at the Pharmacy of Your Choice will be negatively affected since the ability to dispense medicines to the public through government pharmacies and through private pharmacies as part of the Pharmacy of Your Choice scheme will be curtailed, depriving patients without their vital medications.”
The department said that both sets of directives will have a severe negative impact on patients and the public and the health authorities were doing their utmost to maintain a smooth and safe running of the service, notwithstanding the directives.
“The government invites the union to suspend all industrial actions and come around the table to arrive at a sustainable solution to solve this impasse.”