The nurses' union president and the parliamentary secretary for health are entangled in a war of words over the holding of a party at the oncology hospital, restricted solely to staff working in the hospital theatres.
The Malta Independent yesterday reported that nurses were annoyed that only the staff working in the theatres were invited, considering that they also contribute towards patients' health.
Contacted this morning, MUMN President Paul Pace said he did not agree with the decision taken by the Mater Dei Hospital management to invite only nurses employed in surgical theatres to a party.
“If you want to hold a party for nurses, invite all of them, not just a section,” he told The Malta Independent this morning, a day after a party was held at the new Oncology Centre for staff who work in surgical theatres.
“If nurses in surgical theatres worked more in the sense that more operations were held, this means that nurses in the wards had more patients to take care of after the surgery,” said. And so even they should be shown appreciation.
The union does not make a distinction between nurses because all of them do sterling work in their respective sections, he said. Holding a party for only a section of them is unfair and discriminatory.
Mr Pace, who was not invited for the event and came to know about it after the news was carried in this portal, said the union had received complaints from nurses about it.
“I agree with them and with those nurses who spoke to The Malta Independent that there should not have been a distinction,” he said.
On Wednesday Hospital staff who work “in wards and in corridors” contacted The Malta Independent to point out that even they are carrying out sterling duties at the hospital, probably under more duress and in more uncomfortable situations, and “yet nobody has invited us to a party to celebrate.”
The invitations were issued by the hospital administration.
One other point they raised is that the oncology centre, which has cost millions of European and public money, should not be turned into an entertainment venue.
But Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne does not agree.
In comments to The Malta Independent, he said he sees no discrimination in the fact that only surgical nurses were invited to the party.
“This reception was held as gratitude for all surgical staff members, because last year we had a record of 51,500 operations, an increase of 4,000 operations over the previous year. This is of vital importance, given the long waiting list at Mater Dei Hospital, and therefore we wanted to show gratitude for their work. This gratitude extends to all workers of the health departments, not just the surgical staff, who are all working extremely hard, and achieving good results. I do not agree that this gratitude was not evident simply because they were not invited to yesterday’s party, at least I have not been made aware of it. I meet up with staff members on a daily basis, and all of them know this government fully acknowledges their hard work,” Mr Fearne said
Mr Pace reacted to Mr Fearne's statement, saying that this is all a political showcase – and the parliamentary secretary’s excuse is not fit.
“If we’re going to hold a party for records achieved – then one should consider that there were a record number of admissions in the medical ward, in the number of elderly residents at St Vincent de Paul, the record number of patients in the corridors and in the number of patients in the day care units. If there was a number of operations held, then is it not obvious that that resulted in a heavy load in the post-operation wards? Should staff appointed to such wards not be thanked as well?”
Party at oncology centre