Updated at 2.40pm: Adds CEO's reply
The Medical Association has called on Mater Dei management to investigate claims that Facebook was being used to circumvent the normal channels that should be used to re-schedule appointments cancelled by the industrial action earlier this week.
In an e-mail to hospital CEO Ivan Falzon, copied to the media, MAM said it had aimed for appointments to be re-scheduled within four weeks - with urgent cases re-appointed more quickly through normal channels.
"I would like you, however, to formally investigate reports in the media that unofficial Facebook channels are being used, which effectively might result in discrimination among patients," Martin Balzan wrote, insisting that only official channels should be used and that they should be made public and widely available "to one and all".
MAM will be asking its members to verify this process with patients, and reserves the right to use legal channels should any evidence of irregularity arise.
The strike was ordered in protest over the way St Luke's, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals are being transferred to Steward Healthcare, in what, the MAM says, is a breach of the doctors' collective agreement. The agreement says the union should be given six weeks notice so that meetings on the transfer could take place.
Read: Political parties react as MAM declares doctors' strike a success
CEO's reply
Mr Falzon replied that Mater Dei Hospital had only one official channel for booking of outpatient appointments and this was the only channel used for the rescheduling of impacted appointments following Tuesday's industrial action.
"All rescheduled appointments from last Tuesday were made in line with the last minute cancellation policy for outpatient appointments, a policy in place for many years.
"This policy dictates that the clinical team responsible for the patient in question identifies a reappointment date according to clinical priorities. This direction is then implemented by the administrative team responsible for the respective clinic," he said.
Mr Falzon thanked employees, professionals and clinical teams "that handled Tuesday's events to the best of their ability, keeping patient interests first whilst assuring that patient inconvenience was reduced to a minimum".
Members of the public who needed assistance with any of their outpatient appointments, he said, should contact the Outpatients Helpline team on 2545 7000 (Monday-Friday 8am-3pm).