The Mater Dei fiasco is the typical example of the government’s attitude to problems created by its own incompetence and ineptitude. Such is the government’s arrogance that it has lost complete touch with reality and with what really matters to most people.

The hospital is of course massively over budget (and the figure keeps on rising) and also massively late (15 years in the making). Among all this, what causes most concern is that to date we still do not know when the hospital will be fully operational. Furthermore, there appear to be no formal migration plans from St Luke’s of staff, patients and equipment.

I get the clear impression that the whole matter of migration was not even thought of, let alone planned. This is the only way in which the government may justify the fact that outpatient appointments are still being given for St Luke’s and, when asked if the appointment might be for Mater Dei, the inevitable reply is ma nafux (we do not know).

Now, added to this, the minister concerned has had the arrogance to state that we do not have enough nurses to serve the new hospital! Where was he when the plans were laid? Did he not know that this problem could arise? How long has this problem been known? Why the complete mix-up? Is no one responsible?

It is this which hurts the most: that the government does not even have the decency (let alone competence) to give us the true hard facts. Then again it is really no surprise since the true hard facts speak for themselves.

The truth is that the whole Mater Dei saga is such that should cause us all to pause and ask one simple question: is this the level of incompetence we want to lead our country for the next five years?

Simon Micallef Stafrace

Valletta