Mater Dei Hospital’s bed shortage has forced the cancellation of another 30 non-urgent operations as the hospital struggles to keep up with overcrowding.

Chief executive officer Joe Caruana issued an internal notice to staff to postpone all elective, non-urgent surgeries until it absorbs the influx of medical cases received over the past few days.

Emergency surgery and other operations considered to be urgent will still be carried out.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Caruana confirmed the decision and said the Office of the Prime Minister had been informed.

He said 17 operations on Wednesday and 30 scheduled for yesterday were postponed.

No operations were due to be held today, being a public holiday, but those planned for tomorrow were also postponed. A final number was not available yesterday.

“We cancelled planned surgeries that occupy surgical beds which are currently being occupied by medical patients for four days, to give the hospital enough time to deal with the influx of medical patients.

“On Monday, we will review the situation,” Mr Caruana said.

We cancelled planned surgeries for beds that are currently being occupied by medical patients for four days

He stressed it was only planned surgeries that were cancelled, with patients given another appointment in three to five weeks’ time.

When Times of Malta visited the hospital this week, it found 59 patients packed into in a Day Care Unit ward that usually takes 15.

There were another 140 patients spread out in corridors, ward extensions and side wards around the Emergency Department.

Although the hospital saw a drastic increase in medical cases – probably due to the sudden change in weather that led to chest infections – the overcrowding is not new.

Over recent months, corridors around the Emergency Department were turned into quasi-permanent wards, leaving patients with no privacy or dignity.

On Monday, the ophthalmic ward was taken over by day cases, with patients having no tables or armchairs and having to store belongings under their beds.

A Health Ministry spokesman admitted the situation was “precarious” and said the “rotten system” was being addressed.

One patient who had her operation cancelled yesterday expressed frustration that all the arrangements she had made over the past weeks had gone up in smoke.

Meanwhile, the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry said complaints by the doctors’ union that it had been waiting more than six months to put forward its proposals on tackling overcrowding were never raised during meetings with the ministry officials.

“The ministry looks forward to discussions about the matter in the near future.”