Partit Demokratiku today called for an all-government approach involving the ministries for Health, Social Policy, Internal Affairs, Justice, Finance and Education, Youth and Employment so as to focus on the much awaited way forward for MCH.

The recent damning report by the Auditor General further proves that the successive annual reports tabled by the Commissioner of Mental Health Care in Parliament have fallen on the Ministry’s deaf ears, PD said.

The dignity and rights of a voiceless and vulnerable group of people are not being cared for as the mental health care services are poorly developed and not oriented to the real needs of patients.

MCH hospital offers a multi-faceted health care delivery system that needs immediate redress. This health care is in search of lost time as policies adopted in 2013 have long been shelved.

Further to the report of Auditor General, PD is of the opinion that:

1)         Forensic Unit: This should migrate to the Kordin Correctional Facility and standardised guidelines established so that magistrates and judges conform to them.

2)         Drug Addiction Ward: The Commissioner’s 2016 report (Chapter 5) clearly defines the way forward. This must be implemented immediately.

3)         Geriatric Wards: Patients do not only deserve a separate wing that conforms to the established standards of other residential homes, but they should fall under the budget of the Secretariat of the Elderly and not the Ministry of Health. The ever increasing number of Pschyo-geriatric patients should be focused under the care of a sub-speciality.

4)         Adolescent Health: This calls for health care delivery segregation and better management of inpatient care. Juvenile Ward must be closed down.

5)         Our Mental Health Care Delivery System must shift to one that embraces active rehabilitation so that patients are integrated within community support. The 2013 MCH in-patients’ profiling stipulates the way forward so that social cases are excluded from the psychiatrically ill.

6)         MCH must migrate to the planned Mental hospital at tal-Qroqq, with good management and clinical practices in place. In the meantime, MCH must be rendered structurally safe.

7)         A holistic strategy that also supports capacity building and training is a must.

PD thanks the dedicated personnel and health care professionals and urges government to ensure that in the next Budget the financial estimates are such that they tangibly restore effective health care and safety in MCH.