Shadow health minister Claudette Buttigieg yesterday dodged questions about her claims that an 83-year-old woman died in a hospital corridor where equipment needed to save her was not available.

Asked for evidence to substantiate her claim, Ms Buttigieg challenged Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne to invite journalists and the Opposition to inspect the facilities in the corridor in question. The corridor was converted into a makeshift ward due to seasonal overcrowding.

In a statement on Thursday, Dr Fearne quoted relatives of the deceased saying hospital staff had done their utmost to save the woman’s life using the necessary equipment.

Times of Malta sought to contact the relatives directly while a request relayed to them via the parliamentary secretariat was turned down, with a spokesman for Dr Fearne saying the family asked not to be involved in the political controversy.

More in Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Premium.

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