Patients in hospitals will be voting for the European and local elections as follows, the health authorities said on Friday.

Boffa hospital

Residents at Boffa Residential Home will vote at the home on May 18.

Patients in the Boffa Hospital Dermatology Ward will vote on May 25 in their town or village, as indicated on their voting document.

Mater Dei, Mt Carmel, Gozo Hospital and KarinGrech

Patients who are at Mater Dei, Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre (Samoc), Mount Carmel Hospital, Karin Grech Rehabilitation Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital up to 6pm on May 20 will vote at the relative hospital on May 23 between 7am and 10pm.

Patients who will be recovering at these hospitals after 6pm on May 20 will vote on May 25 at their respective localities.

How voting will be organised

The doctor responsible for the patient will have to write down in the patient’s history whether they can leave hospital to vote, and if so, using what form of transport.

Patients will either be able to use transport offered by the department or else make their own arrangements.

Those using prearranged transport will be accompanied to their respective polling station and back to hospital. 

Relatives transporting patients using private transport must request permission to do so in writing from administrator of the hospital where the patient is recovering.

They will then be given a permit which must be shown to hospital security and to the person responsible for patient transport at the hospital on May 25, voting day. To facilitate the process and avoid delays, relatives transporting patients should do so between 1 and 5pm.

What if very sick patients insist on voting?

Patients leaving hospital to vote against their doctor’s advice, as well as those refusing advice regarding transport, must sign a declaration that they are doing so out of their own free will and assuming responsibility for their actions.

To vote, patients should have their voting documents with them. Patients are free to hand these over to the hospital authorities or the chairman of a purposely set up Electoral Commission sub-committee for safe keeping.

Health services in hospitals, the out-patients department, health centres and pharmacies will continue as normal.

Changed visiting hours

Visiting hours at Mater Dei, Samoc, Karen Grech Rehabilitation Centre, Mount Carmel Hospital and Gozo General Hospital will be restricted to one hour, between 7 and 8pm, on May 23, as patients there will be voting. 

Visiting hours at Mater Dei and the Oncology Centre will also be restricted to one hour, between 7 and 8pm, on May 25.