The nurses union has taken offence at being called militant by the doctors’ association and declared it will not take part in the “faulty” government task force set up to deal with the hospital bed shortage.
However, Martin Balzan, president of the Malta Medical Association, said he stood by his statement that there was no place for militant trade unionism in the task force but only for “constructive” action.
In an open letter to Health Minister Joe Cassar, the Malta Union of Nurses and Midwives said the climate in the task force was not going to be “a healthy one”.
The union’s president Paul Pace said he was proud that it could be a “militant union” when needed and in the interest of patients, the union would not remain quiet.
Nurses and midwives were the only health care professionals who worked with patients on a 24-hour basis and the union was not going to allow anyone else to implement changes through the task force that would create more hardship, the union said. Its council has taken a “unanimous decision” not to take part in the task force and this was “final and will not be revoked”. “Dumping patients like sacks of potatoes in corridor wards should be condemned,” Mr Pace said, reiterating comments he made in a press release issued earlier this week.This particular metaphor angered Dr Balzan, who said he seriously objected to referring to patients as “sacks of potatoes”.
“I still stand by my comments – people can be constructive or destructive. However, results are only achieved when people are constructive,” he said.
Dr Balzan also said he would not expect any member of the Medical Association of Malta to get angry at criticism, especially since it was a public entity.
“All they have to do is rebut the argument. We are subject to criticism and I accept it – if MUMN has a problem accepting it, it’s not my problem.”
Meanwhile, a health ministry spokesman said the authorities were once again inviting the nurses’ union to join the task force that had been set up in a meeting which they had chosen not to attend.
Set up earlier this week, the taskforce includes hospital authorities, MAM, the General Workers’ Union and Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin. It will tackle the bed shortages that have led to patients being treated in corridors.