The statement was issued in reaction to comments made by MLP spokesman Michael Farrugia during a press conference in which the opposition launched its plan for the health sector.

The opposition spokesman, yet again, had tried to deliver a very negative message about the healthcare service, which competes very well with other services overseas, the statement said. This is confirmed by a report issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which Dr Farrugia did not read carefully or chose to ignore.

“From a very positive 20-page report, Dr Farrugia saw fit to quote only two sentences regarding primary health care and ignored the very positive comments about the health care service in Malta.” The Medical Association of Malta (MAM) also published reports showing that the health care system was working very well, the statement pointed out.

Statements such as Dr Farrugia’s can alarm the public unnecessarily and dent the confidence people have in the service. It seems that Dr Farrugia’ priority is to take political advantage off a sector that is going through major renewal.

In parliament, Dr Farrugia had once said that the health sector’s sustainability did not worry him, a statement which is in sharp contrast with what is happening elsewhere, with ministers in other countries saying they are seriously concerned with the explosion in medical care expenses.

“It is no coincidence that the first health ministerial meeting under the new Dutch presidency next week, will discuss health care sustainability,” the statement said.

The Health Minister receives a lot of good feedback regarding the health care service. This does not mean that there are no problems in this sector, with an ever-growing demand. A number of new services have been introduced over the years, and people are living longer, both of which are playing their part in increasing demands.

Many of the problems at St Luke’s Hospital come from a lack of space. However, despite the fact that the new hospital is being built ,a number of wards have been refurbished.

Regarding the complaint Dr Farrugia made regarding the list of people waiting for surgery, the statement said that a lot of measures had been taken to tackle this issue, including operations carried out in the evenings at weekends.

Surely, said the statement, Dr Farrugia is told about the long lists that exist in other countries. However this does not seem to be relevant to the MLP spokesman, who seems to believe that there is a magic wand that solves all the logistical and financial problems of the sector.

On the overcrowding that Dr Farrugia said existed in some St Luke’s Hospital wards, the statement said that the division always made it clear that it cannot refuse patients when wards are full. This was also the case when Dr Farrugia was minister, except in those days the problem was solved by shifting patients from the corridors of St Luke’s and putting them in overcrowded rooms at St Vincent De Paul. Regarding the MMDNA, the statement said that there are no plans to reduce their budget. On the contrary the government has set up a joint committee that is working to improve the service they give.

The Health ministry is doing its utmost to solve the problems in the health sector within the financial parameters of the country.