Nationalist MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici this evening hit out at the government over a report in The Malta Independent about a number of elderly patients who were transferred to Saint Vincent de Paule Residence (SVPR) for the elderly in such a bad state of health that they died shortly after. She said that what happened was shameful.

Quoting from the article, the Nationalist MP said one of the patients, a 98-year-old woman, died on Monday evening, less than 24 hours after being admitted, while an  82-year-old woman also died on the same day she was admitted to the home on 5 January.

She said that someone had taken the decision for the transfer, even when they knew the patients had hours to live, and this is utterly scandalous. She hit out at the government for the manner in which parliamentary secretariat replied to questions sent by this newspaper over the case, and for shouldering no political responsibility for the decisions taken.

“The government has no strategic, effective or holistic plan to deal with this situation, and as a result it has become out of control, and authorities are not respecting patients’ dignity,” the Nationalist MP said.

She continued to say that elderly patients are being transferred to the children’s wards while other patients are being discharged, only to have a checkup appointment at the same hospital the morning after.