Cardiac surgeon Prof. Albert Fenech has filed a judicial protest calling on the Health Minister to halt the process to separate the Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology departments, which had been incorporated into one department 19 years ago.

In his protest, Prof. Fenech said that in 1995 he had been put in charge of the Cardiac Surgery Department, at the same time that Prof. Alex Manche had been put in charge of the Cardiology Department.

Because of administrative and coordination issues which impacted patients, it was decided after a few years to unite the departments into a Department for Cardiac Services, of which he was made chairman until he reached retirement age.

He was then succeeded by Prof. Manche following a selection process.

Prof. Fenech said that two weeks ago a call was issued in the Government Gazette for applications for the post of chairman of the Cardiology Department, which indicated that the minister had unilaterally decided to again divide the department and take the clock back 19 years, a decision nine of the 11 consultants were against because of the negative and detrimental impact the measure would have on patients’ health.

The minister took this step without any consultation with practitioners or communication with the chairman.

Prof. Fenech said that, above all, he had an interest in safeguarding patients’ welfare, as well as ensure that the work he carried out in the interest of patients over a number of years was not destroyed because of a bad decision taken without any basis in modern medicine practice.

He called on the minister to stop the division of the two departments.