The major issues which are leading to a substantial number of cancellations of operations in Mater Dei Hospital is not only a matter of nurses’ shortage as was said in Parliament, yesterday, by Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne.

Theatre list and slot times at Mater Dei Hospital are similar to the tower of Babylon mentioned in the bible. A number of consultant surgeons not only do not observe their theatre slot times but send the list late to theatre which makes it impossible to plan any nursing staff for any operation list. Not to mention that theatre list are being also changed on the day of the list itself which makes any staff allocation an impossible feat. Also the theatre list provided to the theatre management will not be appropriate to the time slot available so over running list is the norm of the day......that is a small taste of the tower of Babylon in theatre at MDH.  This is causing great stress and burnout for the nurses since theatre nurses try their outmost to work in an organized manner.

Also cancellations are being done since only five anaesthetic doctors are available in the afternoon leading to whole theatre list being cancelled.

While as Mr Fearne correctly stated that MUMN is collaborating on increasing an afternoon slot, but MUMN made it clear with the Health Ministry and Health Division that unless Mater Dei Hospital Management does not address and organise the consultants theatre slot times and that  theatre list have to be provided according to an established time frame, the cancellations of theatre list will definitely continue.

Mater Dei Hospital is the only theatre in Europe were literally the management of the hospital has no control on neither the consultants list, nor on the slot times in theatre and neither has any control if the patients on the waiting list are being treated fair and equal, MUMN said.