We are here to serve the country in the best interests of its people. That would be an understatement, considering the amount of work already accomplished in our first two years of this legislature. The best interests of the Maltese and Gozitans are not only measured in economical terms, although in the end, it is the principle barometer of what our people deserve and expect.
Over and above what governments are expected to secure, we aspire to identify the family and the individual’s welfare requirements and constantly strive to improve them, through various innovative services applicable to a myriad of different circumstances. With eyes and ears constantly wide open to whatever challenges and requirements come along, this government is fully committed to finding tangible solutions rather than fabricating glittering slogans for short-term pleasures.
While taking stock of our own people’s needs, and diligently diagnosing the originating roots of various difficulties, we keep a constant watch on what international statistics indicate and immediately seek solutions. Gone are the days when governments could conveniently and comfortably dream of fooling people with colourful clichés and attractive but empty promises!
Without ever pretending to be perfect, we are conscientiously attentive to what people need and are committed to delivering it. It is understandable that many may complain of some temporary discomfort due to so much work in progress. In the end, however, everyone with a practical sense will appreciate that indispensable upgrading and refurbishing – or very often building from scratch – is not easy to achieve. Perhaps people had grown accustomed – until a couple of years ago – to the fact that some highly-publicised projects were habitually a never-ending story.
We are blessed that our people, in their vast majority, were not resigned to such a state of affairs. The Cirkewwa terminal and the long and winding roads in Gozo are typical of that era. But why should we be surprised when something closer to people’s hearts like Mater Dei Hospital ended up in a scandalous state when we were told it was to be state-of-the-art, never mind whichever state it really was? Don’t we all know that it took twice the planned time and twice the estimated costs to be completed? Don't we all know now that Mater Dei was not big enough to accommodate present and projected needs?
And here’s where the Opposition comes out so brilliantly: fabricating lies, spreading rumours, propagating them in style on their media with the sole purpose of removing from people’s collective memory their own grave scandals of barely 29 months ago. Well-meaning Maltese and Gozitans can never forget what the so-called renewed (!) Opposition party is desperately trying to bury. People have now discovered that all the expensive and lavish glitter before March 2013 was only meant to cover up, at best, a lethargic administration more keen on clinging on to their seats than serving the people whom they severely taxed!
I myself have come across this stark reality as Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of People with Disabilities and Active Ageing. To be fair, it has to be said that some departments within my portfolio were working hard to meet what these two vulnerable sectors really required. The political will and drive was, however, lacking or dragging its feet to the point of total inertia. Many expensive reports were compiled but very few have ever been translated into tangible and lasting projects.
Labour’s electoral manifesto was very clear in respect of our fields of work and, together with my hard-working collaborators, I had to set a steady pace to deliver what the elderly and people with disabilities had long deserved. I will not go into the innumerable upgrading and refurbishing projects or the impressive amount of legislative documentation. I will refer to the extensive work undertaken in support of the ever-increasing number of those suffering from dementia.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Alzheimer’s Disease International had long recommended that all state programmes should focus on improving early diagnosis, raising public awareness, reducing stigma, providing better care and providing real support to carers. We have immediately started increasing public awareness about dementia and providing the necessary care. We are leaving no stone unturned in reducing the burden of dementia on those suffering from it and their families. Their first enemy is the lack of information that fuels the stigma and which, in turn, contributes to the social isolation of both dementia sufferer and their immediate carers – family and close friends.
Treating people with dementia and caring for them is costing the world hundreds of billions of euros a year. This includes the cost of providing health and social care as well as the reduction in or loss of income of people with dementia and their carers. It is already known that there are currently around 6,000 people with dementia across our two islands and experts forecast this figure will rise to 10,000 by 2030.
Local public awareness about dementia has been very limited and it was vital that we tackle such levels of public awareness and understanding, and drastically reduce the stigma associated with the condition. I thank the Malta Dementia Society – which was, for years, left to its own devices – for its sterling work. But now, as the government we have moved ahead with a holistic strategy to provide tangible support. An unprecedented number of workers in this field – well over 1,000 of them, both in Malta and Gozo – have benefitted from intensive training courses. The applicants for the new care assistant course as accredited by the University of Malta reached record levels of 75 applicants, nearly twice as many as the usual intake.
My Parliamentary Secretariat is closely following the completion of a current project for an additional 25 beds for dementia sufferers at Mtarfa Home, as well as the newly established Dementia Centre at St Vincent de Paule Residence. Plans are now at an advanced stage to create a similar centre in Gozo, where we have been ensuring that all services for the elderly are also available on the sister island and we encourage Gozitans to start applying for this new service.
Planning for new projects is never-ending and this week we are starting a new training course for informal carers – the immediate family and other relatives or friends. We intend to involve existing care-providers in training programmes to provide better support for people with dementia. Community-based services can provide valuable support to families caring for these people and the first Dementia Intervention Team will soon be in place.
I strongly believe that, over and above all logistical projects in residential homes and specialised centres, we need to have well-trained carers to ensure a better quality of life for those with dementia. Concurrently, our latest initiative was the recent launching of the 1771 helpline, manned around the clock by fully-qualified workers to assist anyone who needs advice and support, as well as timely referral to appropriate professionals.
This is all taxpayers’ money being well spent which, added to diligent use of EU funds, targets the very core of what these fellow citizens need and deserve. For the Labour government, people come first and we are here to serve them, more so when, through old age or disability, they merit further support through services of the highest quality so that they can lead a normal life.
Dr Caruana is the Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of People with Disability and Active Ageing