The waiting lists for surgery have tripled since 1998, Malta Labour Party spokesman on health Michael Farrugia said, confirming that there is lack of political commitment from the government to deal with the problem.

Apart from this, the time people have to spend waiting to undergo surgery has also increased, he said.

It is not acceptable that it takes three years for a cataract operation to be held, five years for orthopaedic surgery and two years for general surgery such as hernia.

Patients are not numbers, Dr Farrugia insisted, and should be treated as human beings whose dignity must be respected. It is a not a coincidence that Malta’s rating in the medical sector has fallen from fifth place in the world to the 20th in the European Union.

A Labour government will give priority to the sector and commits itself to take the necessary administrative steps to reduce the waiting lists by 15 per cent, Dr Farrugia said.