Social Policy Minister John Dalli told Parliament that significant progress had been made on the creation of a system through which patients at Mater Dei Hospital would be told how much services given to them cost. He stressed, however, that this did not mean that patients would be charged for services.
Winding up the debate on the financial estimates of his ministry, Mr Dalli said that over the past year, the cost of services at Mater Dei Hospital had been gauged. This, he said, would be a measure to make people more aware of the cost of healthcare and how much they were paying for it, as taxpayers.
The aim of primary health reform was to ensure better service to the patient. He described the hospital waiting lists as an injustice, and the government was aiming to ensure real and full accessibility to health services.
An EU report said Malta had a sustainability gap of seven per cent of GDP, meaning that it should improve its structural balance by that amount through an increase in revenue and capital expenditure. This must be done as soon as possible.
Since 1987, the government had not only created jobs but also changed from less-productive lines to better added value, and brought change into the scenery and ambience of the workplace. From the 132,000 in gainful employment in the late 1980s there were now 160,000, earning much more.
For the past year there had been more unemployed, but the government knew why and where.
On social security, Mr Dalli said he fully agreed with the opposition regarding the non-raising of ceilings, adding that he had talks with department officials on redressing the absurd situation.
But he disagreed with automatic ceiling raises, saying that any administration must keep control on costs of each raise. What he would like to see was a system of revision, but with precise cut-offs.
By 2050, 40 per cent of the population would be over 65, and by 2021 the government would be spending 10 per cent of GDP on pensions. That did not take into account pre-1962 births.
The ministry's audit department had found out several abuses of overpaid benefits and unjustified claims. He was currently working on a single inspectorate.
As a second measure a specialised centre for means test would be set up, abandoning the system of too many departments each doing their own testing.
On social housing he said that in the context of the rent reform, the accent was now more on helping individuals with the payment of rent to keep it within that individual's limitations. The department was also working to buy up to 1,000 units from the private sector to add to stocks to rent out to people. This system would be launched soon.
The stock of social housing should not be sold cheaply to long-time tenants and then substituted by new construction at much higher cost.
On children, the emphasis was more on fostering than on institutionalised care, because this would mean better service for better future citizens. Children's rights were not only natural but also national.
Mr Dalli said the government and the opposition were very close on their ideals. The effects of discussion could be seen in the final version of the rent reform law.
He urged the development of the Addolorata Cemetery "once and for all", not piecemeal.
Earlier, Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly and Community Care Mario Galea said a number of projects were brought on stream in time and others in the making, besides measures taken to help the environment. Every government residence for the ageing was now air-conditioned at a cost of €11 million.
Some €64,000 would be saved every year in energy consumption through the environment measures being taken in a new block with 144 beds. Two wards of 24 beds each with specialised facilities were being dedicated to people with dementia. There were some 4,500 people in Malta with the condition. A Monday-to-Friday day respite centre for dementia patients living with their families was being set up.
A national strategy for dementia and educational campaign was being drawn up. Everybody who had followed a course in caring for people with dementia had found employment.
On public-private partnership, the government had purchased more beds from the private sector, bringing them up to 203. At St Vincent de Paule the death rate of residents was 19 per cent up to October 2009, down from 31 per cent in 2008, but the good news meant longer waiting times. Agreement with the MUMN also meant a reduction of beds in wards to avoid overcrowding.
Parliamentary Secretary for Health Joseph Cassar said the Budget for 2010 featured an increase of €26 million over last year to €289 million. The time had come to strengthen the primary health care process through the consultative reform document.
Dr Cassar announced that since January there had been 250 more surgical operations and 1,000 new outpatient appointments. Only serious cases were being referred to the emergency department, and these would continue to decrease through the primary health reforms. A review of procedures was in hand to cut down on delays.
Heavy investment had been made in the IT sector to lay the basis of e-health services.
Dr Cassar said a number of nurses and 50 doctors would be graduating, but more young people were needed in radiology to provide services at health centres.
Occupational therapists had seen 20,000 patients, 55,000 patients had had ECG tests, the medical scientific labs had done five million tests, 323 had had open-heart surgery (each costing the national coffers €280,000) and dieticians had seen 2,300 outpatients and 600 inpatients.
In cancer prevention a string of initiatives had been taken and the oncology centre would be ready by 2012. A new modular temporary bunker would be built at Boffa Hospital. Turning to breast screening, Dr Cassar said he was not content with the number of women who had taken up the offer, which had already given results because 6.5 per cent of the patients had been called for a second appointment for further investigations and 1.6 per cent had been asked to have a biopsy.
The government had drawn up a non-communicable diseases strategy and a Hepatitis B campaign.
Regarding specialisation of doctors, Dr Cassar said that last year Malta had lost 70 per cent of its doctors because the UK foundation programme did not recognise its Malta counterpart. This year Malta would be getting back 80 per cent of Maltese doctors studying overseas, and 100 per cent next year. Doctors from EU member states would come to work in Malta as well. In postgraduate work, Malta had started from scratch.
Government back-benchers Charló Bonnici, Robert Arrigo, Stephen Spiteri and Frans Agius also took part in the debate.