An agreement on the transfer of patients for medical treatment abroad was this morning signed between Air Malta and the Health Department.

It leads to a more structured system of how the airline gives preferential fares to patients needing treatment abroad.

The government said it has increased the money allocated to assist people travelling for medical reasons by €500,000.

While it previously used to cover the flight costs of one family member with every child under six, it was now to start paying the flight of a family member with every person under 18.

The government said that surgical procedures such as cochlear implants and implants for the mouth and gum were to start being carried out in Malta this year.

Health Minister Joe Cassar said this was the first formal agreement between the ministry and Air Malta.

Last year, he said, there were 477 cases where people went abroad for treatment, including 174 people who were younger than 18.

Treatment abroad is given to patients who would have been exhausted all possible treatments in Malta. The doctors refer patients to a committee which decides on treatment abroad on the basis of the nature of the required treatment and its availability.

Dr Cassar said that while the government was trying to offer all available treatment in Malta, there were some specialised cases that needed to go abroad.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said the government felt the need to give more support to this scheme, which should also leave the Community Chest Fund with more money to dedicate to other issues.

Air Malta chairman Lawrence Zammit said Air Malta was the only airline which accepted stretcher cases and these cost it money. A stretcher case, he said, took up nine seats.

Air Malta was also the only airline with an incubator and it offered free oxygen as part of its social responsibility.