President George Abela inaugurated Malta’s first mobile clinic belonging to the Malta Red Cross during Paqpaqli għall-Istrina last Sunday.

The mobile clinic, playfully named Ċetta by Malta Red Cross volunteers, will allow the Red Cross to provide better medical service during mass events, faster and more complex treatment when it comes to multiple patient incidents, therefore minimising the need to transfer patients to Mater Dei Hospital.

The Malta Red Cross hopes to be able to offer other medical services to people in their respective villages.

Ċetta was first put on display during International Red Cross Day last May as a soft launch to allow the public to get a glimpse of its mobile clinic. The project was made possible with the support of Dr Abela and the Malta Community Chest Fund and Transport Malta, who donated the otherwise decommissioned bus.

Between May and December, the Red Cross undertook the mammoth task of designing and equipping the bus with all the material necessary to convert it into a fully-fledged mobile clinic and communication control centre.

“We have almost completed the conversion and we’re working on trying to secure sponsorships for some hardware needed to complete the communication control centre. Last Sunday’s event was the perfect opportunity to put the clinic on display and show the public the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. This is a really exciting venture, one we believe will totally transform the service we are able to provide to the community,” said Malta Red Cross director general Paulette Fenech.

The Malta Red Cross is not a government-funded agency and therefore relies heavily on support from the local community in terms of donations and volunteers to make their work possible.

For more information, visit www.redcrossmalta.org.mt or www.facebook.com/pages/Malta-Red-Cross-Operations/225484080868661.