The Health Division yesterday released a statement about shortage of barium, pending request forms and waiting time for procedures, in reply to a statement issued by the Malta Labour Party’s spokesman on health last week.

The division said that in March 2006, there was a three-month supply of barium in stock, so procedures to re-order began. After overcoming certain difficulties, including the fact that prospective suppliers failed to supply samples for purposes of proper tender adjudication, an order was placed with a delivery period of 12 weeks.

With regard to pending request forms, the division said that urgent requests and requests concerning patients receiving care in hospital are always promptly dealt with.

When the division receives requests for MRIs, CT scans and nuclear medicine tests, appointments are given promptly. The remaining modalities have a backlog of five weeks and this issue is being tackled as part of a reform in the work practices of four reception clerks.

Waiting lists are a problem plaguing the whole health system in many countries and not just the Department of Medical Imaging, the Health Division said. It argued that it is over-simplistic to say that patients need to wait six months before MRI, CT, US and nuclear medicine bone density tests are carried out.

The division said that presently, a call to recruit four consultants is being processed and their engagement will be instrumental in improving the problem of waiting lists.