Labour leader Joseph Muscat yesterday discussed the challenges in the health sector, and how they should be dealt with, at a meeting with officials of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses.

The meeting was held as part of the party’s May Day activities.

Dr Muscat said there were several sectors where there could be public-private partnerships, so as to attract more women to work in the health sector. They needed to look beyond the bed shortage problem when referring to problems in the health sector.

One of the main problems is the shortage of nurses and it had been a fundamental error when the government limited the number of new nurses, resulting in foreign nurses now being employed. Patients and their relatives must appreciate the work nurses do and accept that the problems in the hospital are not the fault of the nurses.