With all the good intentions of the Maltese Government to help the wounded in the Libyan conflict, the limitations in Mater Dei Hospital and the limitations of the Human Resources have to be taken into consideration as Malta prepares to welcome Libyan patients. Mater Dei Hospital is not only a hospital with bed shortages but is a hospital with huge nurse’s shortage, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said in a statement.

Bringing patients from Libya to (Intensive Therapeutic Unit) ITU, the only ITU in Malta with its 20 beds being always fully occupied on a “normal” basis, is not a correct decision. The nursing staff in ITU are highly dedicated nurses. By international standards such highly critical nursing care provided in ITU dictates that one patient requires one nurse.

This international standard is hardly adhered to at the ITU since on most days one nurse can have up to three patients. Therefore placing extra beds in ITU for the wounded in the Libya conflict will further have a direct impact on the nursing ratio of all the patients in ITU. Having said this, bringing patients from Libya will also have a direct impact on surgery in Mater Dei (especially that surgery where the patient would need ITU post operatively), have a direct impact on Hospital Acquired Infections and have a direct impact on bed availability for local inhabitants in ITU, MUMN said.

MUMN has been in continuous contact with the Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne on such issues and a mutual understanding has been registered. MUMN is appealing to the Government:

1)    To recognise the limitations of the Health Services of our small country.

2)    The shortage of beds in Mater Dei Hospital.

3)    That Mater Dei Hospital has one ITU whose 20 beds are continuously occupied by the local people.

4)    The nurses in ITU are highly specialized and few in number. That other nurses in the country not working in ITU cannot offer the specialized care, so our limitations are huge.

5)    To seek other huge countries with by far more resources to take up the wounded from Libya.

6)    That the Maltese population does not pay a high prize for such aid to Libya as has happened in the past.

7)    Not to contaminate Mater Dei Hospital with multi resistant organisms as what took place two years ago.

This is a difficult situation for the Maltese Government but MUMN is appealing to the Government ...Do not bring patients who will eventually end up having no nurse or no equipment for their care. Our Nurses in ITU, our nurses in Casualty, our nurses in Mater Dei are highly dedicated to their patients but none of them are Superman or Superwoman.