As from this month, the government has started to pay all flight expenses for patients travelling abroad for care, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Friday morning.

Addressing a press conference at the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre, Fearne said that the government had in the past paid the fares of children only. Now, all adults receiving treatment abroad will have their tickets paid for, including those who were previously not eligible via means testing.

“Any patient who requires specialised treatment abroad will benefit from free tickets,” Fearne said.

The measure will cost the government a quarter of a million euros, he said. 

Every year, there are some 800 cases that need to be treated abroad, Fearne said, including 150 children. A third of the cases are cancer related while a further third are ophthalmology patients. A good number of patients are treated for heart conditions as well as neurological conditions.