Government and the Opposition should work together as a team to address the challenges facing the health sector, according to a Nationalist Party MP.
Shadow Minister for Health Claudio Grech has called for the setting up of a five-member Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health chaired by the government.
He said it would be “an important tool” through which the two sides could work together on a sector “which should not be politicised”.
Mr Grech’s motion was presented to Speaker Anġlu Farrugia in the presence of PN whip David Agius.
“The PN wants to seek consensus with the government on this delicate sector and a health committee is the ideal forum for strategic decisions to be taken, particularly because of the change in demographics and the ageing population, which will create an additional burden on the health sector in 10 to 15 years,” he said.
Mr Grech noted that the proposal for the committee to be chaired by the government showed the Opposition had no intention of interfering with its programme.
The committee should have a long-term vision to deal with issues which will affect the sector in the future.
He spoke about the importance of more investment in rehabilitation to reduce as much as possible what are known as ‘avoidable admissions’.
More measures are needed to keep the elderly living in the community, he said, and strategic decisions were also needed to tackle waiting lists, hospital overcrowding and out-of-stock medicines.
Mr Grech said the government had indicated it will support the motion and it would be up to them to decide whether Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia should sit on the committee.
Replying to questions, Mr Grech insisted health services should be free of charge.
“Both parties had clear electoral programmes that did not leave any room for doubt and whoever is in government has to stick to what was said in the electoral manifesto,” he said.
“We cannot make a distinction between the actual service offered and the medicines related to it.
“If the government was planning to introduce charges it should be transparent about it and not introduce them by stealth.”
Mr Grech said the PN will look at the report on health services offered by the hospital, prepared by former health minister John Dalli, “with an open mind”.
“We will welcome any positive recommendations, no matter who comes up with them.”
Mr Grech said the PN had not yet received a copy of the White Paper on medicines, which was released on Saturday.