A potential surgery standstill at Mater Dei Hospital was averted when the government yesterday provided nurses with the protective gowns they have been requesting and over which they threatened not to assist in operations.
But if one issue seems to be under wraps, ambulance drivers are resorting to industrial action today, following the orders of the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin.
While the Health Department said the impermeable gowns were being supplied only until today, pending further decisions, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, which called the action on Monday, understood they would be permanently available.
"If they stop supplying the gowns, the nurses will stop too," warned union president Paul Pace, who claimed the union's move had worked.
The Health Department said the decision to provide the body fluid-repellent gowns would be taken on a day-to-day basis: "Eventually, we will let the union know what we plan to do".
The Social Policy Ministry said the MUMN's directive was "abusive, unnecessary and useless". "This attitude will directly and negatively affect patients and is, therefore, considered to be unjust," it said.
Mr Pace said well over 60 gowns were required per day, with about four nurses assisting each operation. He said the gowns nurses were provided with must have come from the emergency supply for national disasters and infectious cases, adding that these would have to be replaced.
The gowns, which protect both patients and nurses from potentially lethal infections, are not necessarily disposable but would have to be treated after a while. Yesterday was the first time they were provided - normally it was only in the case of cardiac and orthopaedic operations and, in the former case, it was only surgeons who wore them, Mr Pace maintained.
The ministry explained that there were different types of operations and not all required the gowns requested by the union, which was failing to distinguish between them.
The hospital administration was about to conclude an exercise carried out to establish the need for the gowns and would be taking the necessary decisions, it said.
The ministry insisted it was committed to provide the required protective equipment to ensure occupational health and safety.
It questioned why the fuss for the impermeable gowns was being kicked up now when other types had been used for ages.
In the coming days, the action by ambulance drivers will also be extended to care workers, nursing aides, health assistants, porters, dentists, pharmacists, health centre and X-ray departments, the UĦM said.
The action, which had been suspended, has been re-activated because the union said that an agreement to find a solution to various health sector issues by the end of March was not honoured.
Since a meeting in mid-March with the Finance Ministry and the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, no others have been held to confirm the agreements reached, the union said.