Following the Medical Association of Malta (MAM) members’ endorsement of an agreement negotiated by the association and the government late on Monday night, MAM general secretary Martin Balzan said the agreement would provide the necessary pecuniary compensation for doctors in order to stop the brain drain from the medical sector.
The agreement, which stipulates sharp pay rises, specialisation programmes, as well as incentives for specialists to leave their private practice, was approved by 86 per cent of MAM’s members during an extraordinary general meeting.
Dr Balzan told The Independent yesterday that the association had long advocated improved conditions for doctors, local specialisation and prospects for career progression. This agreement tackled all three issues in a way that hospital waiting lists are expected to diminish considerably as well as encourage more doctors to stay on the island.
He said MAM had proposed that the government adopt a system akin to the NHS model adopted by the Blair administration in the UK and used in Scotland. Dr Balzan said this model was particularly suited for Malta as it was developed to counter similar problems faced in the UK. “After the government did its homework,” he added, “we were given the deal to approve internally.”
The new agreement, said Dr Balzan, would help people have a far better health service as there would also be better utilisation of resources, as consultants would be able to perform operations in the afternoons, doubling normal production.
Consultants will be able to choose to forfeit their private practice against a Lm15,000 (EUR34,940) pay rise by 2010 to Lm28,000 (EUR65,222). Those who keep their private practice will be able to earn up to a maximum of Lm24,173 (EUR56,308) in 2011. This scheme will be offered on a voluntary basis, however, a number of consultants are willing to forfeit their private practice, said Dr Balzan.
Will this agreement lure back Maltese doctors living abroad? “It might,” said Dr Balzan. “Essentially there are three types of doctors, those who do not want to leave Malta, those who would do anything to leave Malta and the undecided. The agreement will surely convince the third category to stay.”
This “third category” will surely be tempted to remain in Malta as they are being promised local specialised training and a chance to advance in their career.
“Doctors who do come back need three to four years to build a sustained private practice in order to match the standard of living they would have grown accustomed to. This period will now be bypassed,” said Dr Balzan.
He vouched for the specialisation programme, which has been three years in the making after the Health Department brought over a number of experts to advise it on the matter. The department had received an EUR250,000 grant from the European Social Fund for this purpose. “The government has now pledged its financial backing to kickstart the programme which also includes protected time allocation for post graduate specialisation during working hours.”
These measures, said Dr Balzan, will ensure quality and excellence in the Maltese health sector and stop the country’s doctor haemorrhage.