Last January, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil told us in no uncertain terms that one of the PN’s priorities would be the dignity of patients at Mater Dei Hospital. It was unacceptable, he said that, because of bed shortages, in certain instances male and female patients had to share the same corridors and wards.
Listening to Busuttil, I did not know whether to laugh or cry. The situation was so surreal it almost felt like one of those Alice in Wonderland tales Busuttil and his buddy Tonio Fenech seem to be so fond of. After years of blatant denial, the PN was now not only admitting to the problem of bed shortages but was also appointing itself the valiant protector of patients’ rights.
What had a Nationalist government done to address the bed shortage problem that previous Nationalist governments had created? Apparently nothing, because it had never recognised the problem in the first place. People, however, do not want finger-pointing or responsibility-shirking. People now want solutions and actions, and will expect to see concrete results.
The current government has in fact worked from day one to alleviate the problems afflicting Mater Dei, from long waiting lists to bed shortages, and we are already reaping the benefits. One way in which we achieved this was by beefing up our primary health care system, so that patients would not need to visit Mater Dei for routine check-ups and minor surgery.
During a Health Committee meeting which I chaired last month, the Primary Health Care Department CEO gave an excellent presentation which outlined the major overhaul our primary health care system is undergoing, from initiatives related to prevention, to the infrastructure.
The age bands for various screenings have been widened substantially, and new ones have been introduced. Cervical screening is now being offered for the first time for 25 to 35-year-olds. The threshold age for breast screening has been upped from 60 to 65 years. Colon screening is being offered for those between 51 and 61 years, instead of just 60 to 64.
I did not know whether to laugh or cry. The situation was so surreal it almost felt like one of those Alice in Wonderland tales
Immunisation services have been re-engineered to have 97 more patient contact hours per month, with afternoon and evening sessions. This has been done without any added human resources costs. There is also an expansion of travel vaccination hours planned.
Health education in the community has been given a new lease of life with the introduction of ‘Lifestyle’ clinics in Żurrieq, San Ġwann, Tarxien, Kalkara, Msida, Gżira and Gudja. Awareness campaigns related to diseases such as diabetes have continued, as well as ongoing campaigns by means of social media.
The infrastructure has been strengthened by the refurbishment of various health centres, including Mosta which, despite having been inaugurated before the last election, was only half finished. The Rabat health centre was refurbished last year in under six months, while Floriana health centre is in its third and final phase of refurbishment.
Refurbishment on the Paola health centre is ongoing. New generators have been acquired for the Mosta, Rabat and Paola centres.
New health centres are in the pipeline, including one in Kirkop for the fifth district. A regional hub in Paola is also being planned, while the physiotherapy wing at the Birkirkara health centre is up and running.
A range of new equipment has been purchased, including digital X-ray machines and ECG machines. Private GPs now have access to physiotherapy and X-rays, while bone density requests can now be done by all medical practitioners.
A range of new services are also being offered, including anticoagulant and chronic disease management clinics.
Minor operations are being conducted at Mosta health centre, retinal cameras are available in Mosta and Floriana health centres, while vascular dopplers can be found in Paola, Birkirkara and Floriana health centres.
These initiatives and many others in the past two years have already lessened the patient influx at Mater Dei. The current government has clearly taken the proverbial bull by the horns in the primary health care sector.
The previous government had tried to ignore the bull by looking the other way.
The PN in opposition is now a swordless matador, waving around a red flag, but fleeing, cowardly, from the charging bull.
Etienne Grech is a family doctor, government MP and chairman of the Parliamentary Health Committee.