Elderly residents living at the government's Mosta Home have been eating their food with used disposable cutlery, a practice that has been going on for weeks, Times of Malta is informed. 

Since the dishwasher at the home broke down some weeks ago, the residents were using plastic forks, knives and spoons, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to the sources, however, instead of the disposables being thrown away after every meal, staff members were cleaning the cutlery to be used again at the next meal.

The sources said that while staff had expressed concern at the repeated use of the disposable cutlery, the situation had persisted for a number of weeks.

On what prompted the decision to shift to the use of disposable plastic cutlery after the dishwasher broke down, the sources said plastic dried quicker, making the whole washing process easier.

Asked about the issue in Parliament earlier this week, Family and Social Solidarity Minister Michael Farrugia confirmed that a technician had certified the dishwasher as “unserviceable”.

He added the process to get a new one had been initiated.

The government failed the elderly and the workers

Dr Farrugia also confirmed that until the new dishwasher was installed, disposable cutlery was being used. He denied, however, that the disposables were being reused, insisting this notion was being put forward to alarm people.

Contacted for a reaction, Opposition MP and Nationalist Party spokesperson for the elderly Robert Cutajar said while he had posed the question in Parliament to determine the facts, it had emerged that the disposables had been reused, which was of grave concern.

“This is clear proof that with the elderly sector, as with other social areas, despite the pretty picture painted by the government, the reality is actually quite different.

“While the government is comfortable spending people’s money frivolously, it was not allocating funds for the purchasing of a dishwasher and the necessary amount of cutlery,” Mr Cutajar said.

The PN spokesman said it was a shame that the government not only failed to ensure the elderly were treated with dignity but was also failing the employees working alongside them.