The Malta Independent 30 April 2024, Tuesday
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‘Patients’ rights are being violated’ - Godfrey Farrugia says about Mt Carmel Hospital

Rebecca Iversen Wednesday, 20 September 2017, 13:32 Last update: about 8 years ago

Member of the Partit Demokratiku Godfrey Farrugia addressed an open letter on Facebook to the Commissioner of Health, stating that patients' rights are being violated as not enough beds are available at Mount Carmel hospital.

Half of the patients in ward 8b are sleeping on a mattress in the corridor. In the open letter, Farrugia, urges an immediate investigation to be carried out on ward 8b dedicated to the rehabilitation of drug addiction, where he says current conditions are going against the mental health act.

"In this hall, there are 10 beds in different rooms but there are double the amount of patients and the excess patients end up sleeping on a mattress on the floor in the corridor".

Farrugia said that even the patients are uninformed, that protocols don't even exist and there is a lack of equipment.

The hall is divided in to three zones, with iron gates to separate men from women. Supposedly, it was meant to be just the men's room but is now mixed, Farrugia claimed. "The atmosphere is one chaos and that creates tension" Farrugia explained.

However, according to Farrugia, currently no nurse employed by the government wants to work and take responsibility of the ward, and consequently, the Department of Health remedied the issue by calling private nurses. "I understand that these nurses are not all specialised in the field. However I want to applaud them for the work they are doing in this hall even though it is not their place", he wrote.

There is also an absence of an outdoor yard, which Farrugia claims, means smokers are smoking inside which is a detriment to patients and medical staff.

He concluded by stating that hospital administration is declining, as he implored the health commissioner to investigate and take action.


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