The Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Chris Fearne, said today that considerable headway had been made in the reduction of out of stock medicines and waiting times for operations and outpatient appointments, although more remained to be done.

Speaking in Parliament, he said the nuber of missing medicines had been reduced to five and a new system introduced for emergency procurement, where necessary.

Appointments for MRI tests ad been reduced from two years to five months and would be reduced further, waiting time for echograms was down from three years to a year, those for cataracts from two years to one year and  angiograms from two years to less than a week.

The number of operations for hip and knee replacements was being doubled and there would be a higher utilisation rate of operating theatres. Agreement had been reached with surgeons who would raise the number of operations during their normal hours and then be paid extra for a number of extra operations. This agreement would be adopted too for other sectors.   

He said that the new Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Hospital would receive its first outpatients this month and would provide full services next year.

A new dermatology department was also being set up.

Dr Fearne said long waiting times as the hospital emergency department remained a problem. Many people went there when they actually needed to see their GPs.  A GP Clinic would therefore be set up adjacent to the Emergency Department to see these patients.  

Dr Fearne said that while the leader of the opposition had tried to play down the problems over the strength of concrete on the emergency department, it was worth pointing out that the former government in June 2012 had actually issued a contract for the building of a helipad there.

In view of the problems which had been discovered, the governemnt had changed its plans and would build a new block, near the Emergency Department, providing 200 new beds.  Agreements were also being reached with the private sector to make more beds available.

He said efforts were also being made to reduce waiting time at the outpatients’ department. More clinics were being set up and times were being extended into the afternoon and the weekends. In  diabetes, a waiting time of  two years had been reduced to six months.  

ADDOLORATA CEMETERY

Dr Fearne said that it was not only the hospital which was small, but also the Addolorata Cemetery. The ministry, he said, was awaiting Mepa approval of plans for an extension which would provide 2,300 new graves.