Contingency plans for a national disaster such as an earthquake, but also emergencies such as pandemic flu are being constantly reviewed and improved, Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea said today.

Speaking in the context of last Monday's earthquake in Italy, Mr Galea said that contingency plans for different scenarios had been prepared by the Civil Protection Department in association with the medical authorities and the other services and both the hospitals and the services had a readily available stock of blankets and medicinals prepared in containers and rucksacks for use where needed.

The CPD had also trained volunteers to help in major disasters.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Joseph Cassar, said that Mater Dei Hospital was built to resist earthquakes, and recovery rooms could be quickly converted to intensive therapy units.

Protocols on work practices had also been drawn up and should a major emergency occur, medical staff would focus on that emergency and put off non-urgent medical cases.

Dr Cassar said the medical authorities had also geared up for a possible flu pandemic and more stocks of vaccines would be purchased as the existing ones expired.

He said that although originally Karin Grech Hospital had been earmarked for use as a pandemic flu hospital, those plans have now been revised and a section of Mater Dei would be used against.

The comments were given at a press conference to mark World Health Day. The theme of World Health Day is safe emergency departments.