A man with suspected prostate cancer was given a hospital appointment six months later, doctor and PN candidate Michael Axiaq said today.

Addressing a press conference about the increase in political interference in the healthcare sector, Dr Axiaq said the norm in such cases is for an appointment to be given within 48 hours in order to catch the cancer in its early stages.

Dr Axiaq mentioned two other suspected cancer patients who were given appointments six weeks and eight weeks later, rather than the normal 48 hours.

Cases like these clearly show how politicians rather than doctors are calling the shots at Mater Dei, he said.

Shadow health minister Claudette Buttigieg said complaints of political interference in the health care system had increase alarmingly lately.

She said a statement by the Medical Association of Malta of about such interference last Saturday had been met with silence.

“The government is not even denying such serious allegations,” Ms Buttigieg said.
She said the pressure on healthcare professionals had increased across the board.

Ms Buttigieg said the mentality of politicians meddling in the health system takes the country back to the 1980s.