Opposition leader Adrian Delia on Sunday questioned the government’s decision to close Malta's harbour to NGO vessels carrying migrants.

He also asked if the government only wanted foreigners from Europe.

Speaking in an interview on Net FM, he said the government’s plan was not to grow the economy through productivity or development of new sectors, but instead to achieve it with a higher population.

“What message is the government sending, when it closes its ports but says we need more foreigners?” he asked, insisting that the government should show a long-term plan for the country’s economy.

“Let us make sure that infants don’t drown in our oceans,” Dr Delia insisted.

The Nationalist party leader also said that the  National Audit Office performance review of Mount Carmel Hospital, issued last week, was a “certificate of shame”.

The NAO report found that MCH had several shortcomings, including problems with staff and security.

“If everything goes according to the government’s plan, there will be no improvements until 2023,” Dr Delia said, adding that the CEO of Mount Carmel had been changed multiple times so that people close to the Labour party could be placed in positions of power.

The health sector has serious problems, Dr Delia said, adding that vulnerable people were suffering because of maladministration.

He also noted that 60,000 people were on the waiting list at Mater Dei.

“People have to speak to those close to the Labour party to have a doctor see them,” Dr Delia said.

“Is it possible that we are living in such a shameful country that you have to speak to people to get an appointment in the state’s hospital?” he asked.

Turning to the recent industrial action by the nurses’ union, Dr Delia said the government wanted to give the impression that everything was going well, and it continued to spend money in marketing campaigns to convince everyone that everything was going well.