Cardiac surgeon Alexander Manché is backing the quest by the Medical Association of Malta to improve the conditions of work of doctors.

In a letter to the association, which was circulated among doctors, Mr Manché wrote: "I fully support you in trying to better the conditions of your members and I hope that you can be successful".

This part of the letter was read by MAM legal advisor George Abela during a press conference yesterday.

Last month a letter was sent to Godwin Grima, the principal permanent secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister, and to the director general of health Ray Busuttil requesting a remedy in the "existent discrimination" between two surgeons.

The legal letter was sent on behalf of cardiac surgeon Walter Busuttil and the MAM.

The letter claimed that Mr Busuttil was being discriminated against when he was offered a less favourable salary and working conditions compared to Mr Manché's. It said both were doing the same work. Dr Abela stressed that the issue did not solely revolve around wages but also around the employment conditions of the two surgeons.

"This is not only a breach of the Employment and Industrial Relations Act but also of the collective agreement with the MAM and the Public Services Act," he said.

Dr Abela said that the law lays down that employees in the same class of employment are entitled to the same rate of remuneration for work of equal value.

The lawyer discarded the argument that Mr Manché was contract-bound not to do private practice while the other cardiac surgeons were not. Dr Abela said the other cardiac surgeons should have been given the same opportunity.

There are five cardiac surgeons at St Luke's Hospital, three of whom are consultants and the other two are specialists. Among the consultants are Mr Manché and Mr Busuttil. The other consultant, whose contract is similar to that of Mr Busuttil, has not been brought into the picture.

Association president Stephen Fava stressed that the MAM held nothing against Mr Manché and neither did it harbour any doubts about his competence. He said the association never said Mr Manché does not deserve the salary he gets. He said it was the government that tried to play on people's feelings instead of making a valid legal argument about the issue.

"We know he is a very competent surgeon but so are the vast majority of surgeons and they, too, deserve an adequate salary," he said.

Dr Fava said lives were important everywhere, not solely in the cardiac unit and doctors saved lives everyday in other units of the hospital.

"For us, it is important that we do not just have good doctors in the cardiac unit but everywhere. Although we do have good doctors, salaries and working conditions are not good enough to attract doctors and a number are leaving the health service," he said.

Association general secretary Martin Balzan emphasised this, stressing that the health sector was suffering from a brain drain, with health centres bearing the brunt of the shortage.

Dr Balzan said 65 doctors were missing in the health centres complement and this was why an appointment system had to be introduced.

The long waiting times at the emergency section at St Luke's Hospital were the result of a lack of doctors.

With regard the Ear, Nose and Throat section, Dr Balzan explained that although a specialist is supposed to be present all the time, this was not happening. When an urgent operation was needed, a junior doctor had to seek assistance when faced with emergencies.

He mentioned problems that are expected to arise in Gozo after the departure of a surgeon. He explained that since there is only one surgeon at the Gozo hospital there would be problems when this person takes leave or reports sick.

The MAM is supporting a number of doctors from EU member countries who work here and who have complained to Solvit - an on-line problem solving network among EU countries - that they are being discriminated against.

"Some of these doctors have been giving a service to the Maltese people for 20 years and when they reach pension age plan to go back to their country. But they will not be getting a pension there," Dr Balzan explained.

He said the doctors - about 30 - were offered a low salary scale and no increments but were given the benefit of not having to pay income tax.

Dr Balzan explained that although at face value their salary would look the same as that of Maltese workers, they were not covered by social security.