PN Leader Adrian Delia has lambasted the government for failing to have a long-term plan and insisting on employing an “extraordinary marketing strategy” to make it appear as though things are running smoothly, in an interview with NET News were he highlighted concerns within the health sector and the economy in general.

Delia began by referring to the recently publish NAO report on Mount Carmel Hospital. The report criticised the ‘outdated’ and ‘restrictive’ infrastructure at the state-run institution, finding that the current unacceptable condition is the result of the long-standing legacy of central Government’s lack of commitment towards mental health.

He explained that the PN had been highlighting the issue of mental health while the government refused to address the situation immediately, saying that there will be no significant improvements by 2023. 

He said it was prudent to ask how it was possible for the government to “abandon the most vulnerable among us” given that the current situation at the hospital reflected the government’s overall attitude to the health sector. 

Referring to the controversial sale fo three state-owned hospitals to VGH, Delia said that the government’s attempts to praise the recent agreement with the nurses union while failing to reach long-term solutions to the shortage in the industry, was another example of the government's “extraordinary marketing strategy to make it seem like everything is doing fine.”

“The government is bringing in 10,000 foreign workers per year. Did it not think to fill the nursing shortage?”

Using this a springboard to other issues, Delia began to say the current administration had no plan for sustainable economic growth, with the government choosing to inflate the economy according to the number of workers and not to the number of quality jobs.

He said that 50,000 people work with the government despite the shortage in educators and nurses, criticising the growing number of unproductive positions within state-involved entities, highlighting the Gozo Channel Ferry Service and Wasteserv as two areas of concern.

While praising the government for its initiative in the blockchain sector, Delia said that not enough is being done to ensure that younger generations are given the tools to be able to thrive within the industry.

Labour Party reaction

In a statement, the PL said that the Delia's comments reflected a split opposition that offers no solutions to challenges facing the country 

"Despite the negativity and factual errors by Delia, families and business feel that Malta is continuing to move forward with unprecedented economic growth and social advancement," it read. 

With regards to nurses specifically, the PL said it was the previous administration that had, in fact, closed nursing courses while this government opened a new school in the field.