The government is not working to address the sustainability of the health services and it is only the Labour Party which can guarantee a free and quality health service, Labour health spokesman Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said.

Addressing a news conference, she said that the Labour Party, like the people, was worried that even the executive head of Mater Dei Hospital was now concerned about the sustainability of the health services. The same concern had even been expressed by health minister Joseph Cassar.

For the Labour Party, it was not conceivable that one would have to start paying for health services because its sustainability could be addressed through a serious plan. But it was only the Labour Party which could guarantee a free and quality service.

An energy audit had still not been held at Mater Dei, in spite of the hospital supposedly being state of the art.

This was in spite of the fact that energy audits were held at health centres, even though the results were not yet being implemented. These results showed that in a number of centres, the electricity consumption rate could be reduced by 37per cent and the money could be used in investment for patients.

At the same time, work which could be done by employees at Boffa Hospital was being outsourced.