Monday’ national Budget will provide an added focus on cardiac disease prevention measures and resources, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced at the launch of the annual Maltese Cardiac Society Conference.

Resources for the prevention of cardiac disease, which remains statistically the most prominent cause of death on the island, will be increased in increments, with the Budget to provide for increases in finances and in equipment as well, Fearne said.

In his speech at the opening of the conference, the minister in fact made emphasis on this principle of prevention.  He said that in spite of all the innovations over the past year, cardiovascular disease still remained the highest cause of death in Malta. Therefore, he said, more must be done in terms of preventable measures, be it in terms of training or emphasis to the whole population on the risks of lifestyle habits such as smoking and a lack of exercise.

The Health Minister said that whilst it was right that those in the medical profession measure their work in terms of results, such as how many lives they’ve saved and how long people are living; medical professionals must also remember that above all else, they are treating people.

He said that everybody that he has spoken to do not complain about or praise machines or equipment, they speak about the staff.  As a result, he said, it was essential that medical professions treat patients as a whole, rather than just their organs.

Fearne announced that a new course on non-clinical skills – on how to treat people as people – will be opening soon, and encouraged those within the medical profession to enrol and participate in this course.

The President of the Maltese Cardiac Society Robert G. Xuereb also emphasised on the principle of prevention, saying that hard work was needed but that it could be done.  He also said that the society was looking beyond cardiac health and towards environmental health, and said that the committee was working to reduce its use of plastic in the field.

The conference is working on the theme of cardiac arrest, especially since October is Cardiac Arrest month, and will run until Sunday, featuring over 50 lectures, seminars and sessions over its course. 

At the launch, the society also announced the winner of the Maltese Cardiac Society Award for 2018, who was Alex Borg.  Borg has been the chairman of the organising committee for the past three years and Xuereb praised him for his dedication and voluntary work to the society.  Borg was presented with a painting to mark the occasion.