Turning St Philips hospital into a 300-bed facility would require a miracle akin "to that of the loaves and the fishes," a leading anaesthetist said this evening.
Speaking on current affairs programme Affari Taghna, Joe Zarb Adami said Malta's healthcare system was suffering from a lack of foresight and outdated hospital work practices - something Health Minister Joe Cassar has repeatedly mentioned - such as outpatient clinics not opening on a Saturday.
The outgoing government has negotiated the purchase of St Philip's hospital for use as a rehabilitation hospital but the deal was not sealed before the dissolution of parliament last month and its fate now rests with whoever is elected on March 9.
Dr Zarb Adami also drew comparisons between emergency services at St Luke's Hospital and those at Mater Dei. While the emergency room at St Luke's handled some 130 people a day, Mater Dei emergency staff now faced over 300 cases daily, he said.
"Why? Probably because people aren't getting the service they need elsewhere," he said.
He praised the government for having dedicated money to specialisation but said more was needed - something which obstetrician Isabelle Saliba also remarked upon.
Dr Saliba remained unconvinced by existing IVF legislation, one of the last laws to be enacted.
"I'm worried it won't work and will just leave many couples frustrated. Many things need to be reassessed, from the number of eggs one can fertilise to whether or not freezing will be allowed," she said.
A nurse in the crowd, Maria Abela, said preventive medicine was sorely lacking in Malta.
"We've got standard immunisation programmes and screening for breast and colon cancer, but that's about it... We need well-being clinics, where people can go and get themselves checked up, before they fall ill."
Orthopaedic surgeon Charles Grixti said much of Mater Dei's emergency area had been transformed into holding bays and the switch from St Luke's 1,000 beds to Mater Dei's 800 had not worked because plans for longterm and rehabilitation care had not materialised.
PL leader Joseph Muscat and deputy leader Louis Grech were two prominent faces among the audience members. Dr Muscat explained the PL's patient charter proposals, saying the PL was so convinced it could deliver that it was willing to tie itself to performance targets like those in the private sector.
Mr Grech slammed existing management structures and said it was "unacceptable" for the government to disregard recommendations made by the Auditor General.
PL candidate and paediatrician Chris Fearne said every Labour healthcare proposal would involve consultation with stakeholders and healthcare professionals.
"There's no magic wand that will solve every problem in one fell swoop," he said.