Sixty-five Mater Dei Hospital beds occupied by long-term care patients were vacated over last weekend, reducing the problem of bed shortages.
Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia described the situation as “a policy and strategy challenge” but insisted that by working hand in hand with doctors, nurses and their unions, the situation was improving.
“We worked hard this weekend,” Dr Farrugia told a press conference yesterday.
Forty-five beds ‘blocked’ by social cases and another 20 by orthopaedic patients were freed.
“We carried out a number of trauma cases surgery so that beds could be emptied,” he said.
In agreement with the unions, 12 beds were set up at Karin Grech rehabilitation hospital and another 60 will be available at St Vincent de Paul in the coming days.
Mater Dei CEO Joe Caruana had been away over the weekend during the bed crisis and overcrowding when elective surgeries were cancelled amid the doctors’ union warning that “the worst was yet to come”.
Deflecting criticism from the minister who insisted it was unacceptable for the CEO to be away during this crisis, Mr Caruana insisted with Times of Malta that his visit abroad was for “health reasons”.
The situation was reviewed yesterday and the hospital administration decided to restart non-urgent elective surgeries.
Mater Dei CEO travelled over the weekend for health reasons
“The elective surgeries postponed last week will be given another appointment within the next four weeks,” Mr Caruana said.
He said there were 100 “not-acutely ill” – either elderly or bedridden patients – who could be placed elsewhere.
Mr Caruana pointed out that in October, November and December this year some 400 more operations per month were carried out compared with the same period last year.
According to the Health Minister, even the situation of patients in corridors at the Accident and Emergency was under control.
“On Sunday evening at 6.30pm, only four patients were waiting on stretchers in the corridor,” he said.
“Even though we postponed elective operations, if there is a patient with a tumour we will of course operate,” Dr Farrugia said.
This year 50 more beds were added at Mater Dei and by the beginning of March, a further 22 beds will be increased to cater for acute illnesses.
“We have also started a programme with Live Life, a private public partnership, and they will take 47 patients,” the minister said.
“All this shows there is a plan. We are looking at the demography of an ageing population. This morning we woke up with 75 empty beds.”
He added that the ministry was now running more efficiently and was saving money by taking into consideration the price of beds: a bed in a medical ward at Mater Dei costs €240 a night, at St Vincent de Paul it costs €85, and a bed under the public private part-nership would not cost more than €45.
A call for a further 300 beds in private homes for the elderly will be issued and the bed availability will be staggered between January and July.
“We have to reach a balance between safety and patients’ health. We are one profes-sional healthcare and every situation is addressed together for the welfare of the Maltese,” Dr Farrugia said.