More ambulances would be acquired to cut response time, Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia said yesterday.

The fleet of ambulances at Mater Dei Hospital will be increased from seven to 11 by the end of the year. Also, the number of ambulance drivers and porters, who will now be known as ambulance respondents, will be doubled, from 44 to 88 following an internal call.

Dr Farrugia was speaking at the signing of an agreement between the Health Ministry and the General Workers’ Union and the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, the two unions that represent ambulance drivers. Among other things, the agreement provides for better working conditions and more flexibility.

The director of the Mater Dei’s emergency services, Mary Rose Cassar, said that, on average, ambulances took about 10 minutes to reach localities in the central part of Malta. However, it could take up to 25 minutes to go beyond, say, to Mellieħa. Localities in the south, such as Marsascala, also posed a challenge due to heavy traffic.

Thus, ambulances would be on standby at the Paola and Mosta health centres during peak times between early morning hours and the afternoon.

Mrs Cassar said that ambulance respondents would be trained to assist nurses in certain situations.

Asked about the situation at the emergency department, Dr Farrugia said he was satisfied with the progress registered so far, adding that the objectives set out in the smart plan tabled in Parliament on July 3 were being met.

According to the plan, work on the introduction of a patients’ tracking system was due to start last month. The system is intended to alert the emergency department whenever standard best practices were not being followed.

The plan also calls for a bigger complement of experienced doctors and nurses to be able to cope with the demand during peak times.

Asked about the incident involving a teenager who had to be stopped by nurses from engaging in sexual acts with other patients in a mixed ward at Mount Carmel Hospital, the minister said a report by the Mental Health Commissioner into the incident was in its final stages.

Dr Farrugia said that since this case involved a minor the police had to be called in too.

Regarding criticism by the nurses’ union that the state of affairs at Mount Carmel had reached a low point, Dr Farrugia said the responsibility fell on the CEO and the management team. From the clinical aspect, he added, the onus was on the multidisciplinary team and if there were any irregularities, the Mental Health Commissioner had to step in.