The summer heat in government health clinics was becoming “unbearable”, according to at least a doctor and a patient who spoke to The Times.

“Is this how the health authorities practise what they preach,” one woman complained, after visiting the Balzan health centre where she had to queue in a narrow corridor without an electric fan.

The woman said most of the people in the queue were usually elderly, who were ironically instructed by the health authorities to avoid the heat.

“I thought I was going to pass out,” the 67-year-old said.

When contacted, a doctor said she was making the most of the last few minutes in her air-conditioned car before having to face the heat inside one of the small health clinics in Attard, known as bereġ.

The doctor said it was not only one health centre where the heat had become unbearable but there were others, which hardly had any cooling mechanisms installed.

When contacted, the Health Ministry said the Department of Health was doing its utmost to upgrade these clinics. The department, a ministry spokesman said, was also seeking partnerships with local councils so that the same premises could be shared – notably in Kalkara, Sliema, Ta’ Xbiex and Vittoriosa.

The newly refurbished Vittoriosa health clinic would open on Monday, the spokesman said.