The “unprecedented” overcrowding at Mater Dei over the last few days may be due to an unusually high number of people admitted for elective surgeries, according to the hospital’s acting CEO.
Joseph Zarb Adami told the Times of Malta that some 60 patients had been admitted for elective procedures on Wednesday alone, forcing the hospital to house patients in the day surgery recovery area.
This is the first time such measures have been taken since the Libyan evacuation crisis in 2011.
“It’s definitely a situation of concern. I’ve never seen the hospital so packed before,” said Dr Zarb Adami.
The state of affairs, which has resulted in patients cared for in corridors and recovery rooms set up in theatres, has prompted the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) to express concern over the “unrelenting pressures” on its members.
The union said on Wednesday that “dangerously substandard staffing levels in most wards” were putting patients’ safety at risk.
Our people have managed the load without hysteria and with intelligent planning
Sources close to the hospital told this newspaper yesterday that surges in admissions were common during the winter flu season but that there was currently no epidemic or illness that could account for the situation.
The sources suggested that the problem was one of “gate-keeping” – with too many patients being admitted to the hospital unnecessarily.
Dr Zarb Adami, however, said that, while the perception was common, he could find no evidence that patients were being admitted without sufficient reason. “I’ve been referred a number of cases for review and I haven’t found any major mistakes,” he said.
“Although by their nature doctors are pretty cautious, thereis no reason to blame their cautiousness.”
Dr Zarb Adami said the hospital was monitoring the situation constantly and 170 patients had been discharged on Wednesday alone, such that he expected the strain to ease in the coming days. He added that, while there were a number of young doctors working in the casualty ward, the hospital’s tracking system showed that most patients were making early contact with more senior doctors.
Responding to the MUMN’s concerns, Dr Zarb Adami praised the conduct of the nurses, who he said were “breaking their backs” to ensure patients’ well-being.
“The strain is there, but I am proud of our people, who have managed the load without hysteria and with intelligent planning, much more successfully than in the past.”