Malta has one of the least patient-friendly healthcare systems of 30 European countries, according to an index that sees the island slipping down in the rankings.
The Euro Health Consumer Index is an annual league table of national European healthcare systems across six key health areas that directly concern patients.
According to this year's index, published in Brussels yesterday, Malta has the 23rd most consumer friendly healthcare system in Europe, down from the 20th position last year and 13th in 2006.
The main reasons for Malta's downturn were lack of access to preventive medicine and drugs, low scores in new e-medicine techniques and waiting-time for operations and access to specialists.
On a positive note, the survey's authors are optimistic that the new Mater Dei Hospital will contribute to a major improvement in the coming years.
"As Malta got its first state-of-the-art hospital last year, major improvements can be expected in future indexes," Dr Arne Bjornberg, Research Director for the Euro Health Consumer Index told The Times.
"An emphasis on preventive medicine could help alleviate public health problems such as the high obesity rate, which presumably is a significant part of the reason behind the high Maltese rate of diabetics."
In the 2008 index, Malta obtained a total of 532 points out of a potential 1000. Compared to last year, it scored better in two diagnoses indexes: cardiovascular healthcare and diabetes. It also obtained high points when it came to access to family doctors, dental care affordability and the right to a second opinion.
However, the index described the situations as "not so good" - giving the lowest scores - in some important healthcare areas such as waiting time for operations and MRI scans, direct access to specialist doctors, MRSA infections, the operation of new technologies known as e-Health, and in access to new drugs in the national subsidised system including those related to cancer treatment.
Johan Hjertqvist, President of the Health Consumer Powerhouse, responsible for the index, said that an analysis of Malta's results this year shows that Malta needs better access to medicines, stronger patients rights and improvement in outcomes.
"For the time being it seems that new medicines are prevented from rapidly entering the public subsidy scheme," he added.
This year's index shows that The Netherlands got the best overall ranking out of the 31 European countries surveyed.
The Dutch are closely followed by Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg and Sweden.
Latvia, Montenegro ranked at the bottom of the index.