An additional corridor is being used for patients at Mater Dei as the hospital authorities continue to grapple with a bed shortage.
In a statement this afternoon, Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia said the use of the corridor was identified last week, and every possible measure was being taken to ensure that patients were treated with dignity and enjoyed privacy until they were given beds in the wards.
Dr Farrugia toured the hospital this morning and thanked the doctors, nurses and other workers for their service, saying that despite the pressures, no operations had been cancelled.
The Health Ministry said that 178 people were admitted to hospital in the past 24 hours - 124 through the emergency services, 47 for operations and seven from homes for the elderly or the outpatients' department. A total of 110 patients were discharged.