The Health Ministry has opened a formal inquiry into a scam that is believed to have been run within Mater Dei Hospital and is examining the administrative structures to determine what steps, including disciplinary action, should be taken.
It has also requested the police to open a criminal investigation, after a nurse and a salesman were alleged to have swindled vulnerable patients out of hundreds of euros by charging patients for a specialised therapy not provided by the state.
The ministry issued a statement yesterday confirming that following an internal inquiry, a report had been drawn up in connection with the alleged abuse which involved charging patients up to €1,000 for VAC Therapy, equipment that speeds up the healing of deep wounds.
“This preliminary report shows there is more scope for investigation and the Health Ministry passed this report to the police last Friday,” the statement said.
The ministry had ordered its internal investigation after a patient turned up last April with an invoice expecting to be reimbursed for the VAC Therapy – a technique also known as negative pressure wound therapy – which he received at Mater Dei.
The hospital had started providing this therapy on a trial period but stopped because it was still being tested and complications arose in the tendering process for its provision.
According to the ministry’s report, however, a salesman continued to provide the equipment and a nurse offered the therapy to patients, who were given the impression it was free – or when they asked if there was a charge, they were told “it did not cost much”.
The internal inquiry report states: “The involvement of (includes name of nurse) clearly stated that they are demanding payment for his (the nurse’s) services. This while he is employed at Mater Dei, more so in a management position.”
Yesterday, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses issued a statement denying there was a scam or anything illegal going on.
While describing The Sunday Times article as “fallacious” and “riddled with inaccuracies”, it confirmed that the free service discontinued by the Health Department was still being provided.
“A number of consultants working at Mater Dei continued to prescribe this treatment for their patients and the nurses’ involvement (not one but many as this was widespread practice throughout the whole Mater Dei Hospital) was to execute the consultants’ orders in the interests of the patients.”
The MUMN said the article “maliciously” gave the impression that a particular nurse was a “top MUMN official” when he was not even a member of the union’s executive and “only chairs a committee”, and that he was participating in the alleged scam for financial gain.
“The MUMN declares no nurse has, directly or indirectly, made even the slightest gain out of this situation,” it insisted.
Meanwhile, the ministry yesterday said it was intolerable for someone to exploit vulnerable situations in which people were facing health problems. “The government will take action against those who commit such abuse,” it reiterated.