Two doctors' associations yesterday criticised the lack of manpower at Mater Dei Hospital's Emergency department and health centres across Malta.

The Medical Association of Malta strongly condemned an assault on a doctor at the Qormi Health Centre last Thursday, and said changes must be made before the situation at health centres improved.

The association said the doctor was headbutted and suffered minor injuries but the health and police authorities took quick and appropriate action over the case.

The doctors' union said that as the patient load at health centres continued to increase, the number of doctors was falling. The conditions of work of these doctors was becoming unsustainable, reducing the contact time with patients to a minimum.

"The increased waiting times for patients are inevitably resulting in increasing episodes of verbal and physical abuse of staff," MAM president Martin Balzan said.

He appealed to the health authorities to give priority to areas where demand was highest and to concentrate its resources on improving working conditions and services.

A week ago the association presented its proposals to the health authorities on how to improve the situation. Dr Balzan said the proposals were constructive and should result, if implemented, in a better delivery of service.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the Għaqda Maltija tat-Tobba għall-Emerġenzi said the situation at the emergency department had gone from bad to worse.

It said it had now become the norm for newly graduated doctors to be sent to the department before they were even given a registration licence. This was not permitted in other western states.