Updated 10pm - Added Health Ministry statement

Relatives of a man who died after contracting legionnaires’ disease from the water system at Mount Carmel Hospital were told the man had died of a chest infection, sources told the Times of Malta.

The chest infection was also listed as the cause of death on the man's death certificate.

The man, in his late 50s, died at the end of August, days after being rushed to Mater Dei Hospital due to shortness of breath. Although weeks passed since the man’s death, health authorities never issued any official statement saying that legionella had been found.

Legionella is normally linked to poorly maintained air-conditioning and water systems and humidifiers.

The sources said that following the death, an internal investigation confirmed that legionella was traced, leading to the closure of shower rooms in two wards where the man had been kept. The showers were drained and cleaned and only reopened after further tests for legionella returned negative results.

“As soon as tests for legionella proved positive, the management took all precautions in the interest of patient and staff safety,” a Health Ministry spokeswoman said in reply to further questions on the case.

“Relevant authorities and staff were informed of the situation,” she added.

The spokeswoman said that the Superintendent of Public Health ordered an inspection by the Environmental Health Division and that the case proved to be an isolated one.

“Environmental Health officials identified the root cause of the infection,” she said.

“It was recommended that hyper chlorination and thermal shock treatment take place immediately on the water system in the affected area. A private company with the necessary expertise was engaged to carry out these procedures. While the source was being identified and treated, the water supply was stopped and staff and patients advised on safety measures.”

Once the treatment was carried out, water samples were again tested and declared safe by Environmental Health officials.

Questions on whether Health Minister Chris Fearne felt he should shoulder responsibility for the incident and tender his resignation remained unanswered.

A very worrying case - PN

The incident was very worrying, especially considering the vulnerability of patients at the hospital, the Nationalist Party said. 

The fact the government chose to hide the case was of concern, the PN said, insisting the authorities cannot act as though it was business as usual. 

In a statement, the party called for a magisterial inquiry to establish what had led to the death and for people to shoulder responsibility. 

It warned that the water was being used by other patients and hospital workers. 

"Deputy prime minister Chris Fearne should give an explanation for covering up this death, which was uncovered by the media."

'Nothing was hidden' - PL

In a statement issued late in the evening, the Health Ministry argued that they had not tried to keep the case under wraps.

Mount Carmel hospital administration and the Superintendence of Public Health knew of the case, the ministry said, Environmental Health officials had conducted an investigation and hospital staff in the affected ward had been "informed of precautionary measures."

The man's doctors at Mater Dei hospital had signed the death certificate, the ministry added, according to standard medical procedure when no ulterior suspicions about the cause of death existed. 

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