Politics never played a role in cardiologist Albert Fenech’s termination and all the rules in the book were followed, according to Mater Dei Hospital cardiology chairman Robert Xuereb.

“This matter always crops up when the consultant is a politician,” Dr Xuereb told The Sunday Times of Malta in his first reaction to Prof. Fenech’s claims that politics were affecting the hospital’s operations.

Albert Fenech.

Dr Xuereb pointed out that there had been other equally valid consultants whose posts had been terminated in the past and no fuss was made. But when the person happened to be a politician, “the same fuss and arguments” were raised.

A wave of social sympathy flooded social media in the past days after it emerged on Thursday that the contract of Prof. Fenech, a long-standing and respected cardiologist who turns 64 in October, would not be extended for the second time.

Prof. Fenech, a Nationalist MP, lashed out at health authorities claiming the hospital was being run in a “dictatorial way” and that he was being asked to make way for new blood.

However, both Dr Xuereb and Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne refuted claims that politics were behind the decision not to further extend his contract.

This is not the first time Dr Xuereb has been involved in public confrontation with Prof. Fenech. A storm brewed over their relationship when the hospital’s cardiac services were split last year.

At the time, Prof. Fenech had been extremely vocal against the split which he described as “ignorant” and purely a decision “to give this guy [Dr Xuereb] the job”. Dr Xuereb had steered clear of getting into a war of words and last September insisted there was no animosity. So much so, he had said he would ask hospital authorities to make a concession and renew Prof. Fenech’s consultant past-retirement age contract not to lose his expertise.

The posts of other equally valid consultants were terminated in the past and no fuss was made

This contract is renewed on a yearly basis, according to the collective agreement signed by the Health Department and the Medical Association of Malta on February, 27, 2013.

This specifically states: “Renewal of contracts beyond the statutory retirement age will only be considered after no suitable candidate would have been found to fill the post…”

The Medical Association of Malta issued a statement yesterday saying this agreement did not “preclude hospital management from keeping post-retirement doctors in cases where there was no replacement or if the need arises”.

However, since then, two new consultant cardiologists were engaged: Dr Alex Borg, a cardiac imaging consultant, was appointed on September 1, 2014; while Dr Maryanne Caruana, a specialist in grown-up congenital heart disease, started her appointment on August 8.

“Consequently, Prof. Fenech informed Mater Dei’s management of his desire to resign and an internal mechanism kicked in to ensure patient care would not be negatively impacted,” Dr Xuereb said.

After receiving the necessary guarantees that his speciality had enough resources in place to continue providing excellent care, Dr Xuereb said it was agreed Prof. Fenech’s request to resign would be accepted.

“In spite of this, I asked Mater Dei authorities to give Prof. Fenech a concession to keep a day session at the catheterisation suite,” Dr Xuereb said, adding that the waiting list in interventional cardiology was cleared last year.

“One should keep in mind that Prof. Fenech now needs to wear the cap of a politician apart from that of a clinician. I can only reassure you that my sole interest is patient care and my decisions are based on driving our department forward in patients’ interests.”

Mr Fearne too insisted politics were not behind the decision.

“As a politician I’m keen to allow Mater Dei as much autonomy as possible and make it a point to keep away from interfering with clinical decisions or decisions of an administrative nature.”

Mr Fearne, a paediatric surgeon who has worked with Prof. Fenech in the past, said he had nothing but the utmost respect towards him, personally and professionally.

“However, I understand that in this case the regulations laid out in the collective agreement were followed.”