Following the uproar, most of it wholly deserved, that followed MP Michael Farrugia’s inauspicious comment on the very first operation performed at Mater Dei Hospital, it seems all has fallen silent, except for the daily bulletins which speak of smooth and flawless migration processes.

The migration process is now almost complete, with Emergency moving early today and the maternity wards tomorrow.

Then will come a further celebratory moment when the first baby to be born at Mater Dei will no doubt be celebrated and given prominence. Such prominence however eluded the first people to die at Mater Dei, a fact that was not even mentioned in the daily press releases.

The resonant silence that has followed Dr Farrugia’s misplaced criticism has closed up all and any possible criticism over the many aspects of the hospital migration, except for some sporadic letters to the papers.

Even so, and with the negative benefit of speaking as complete laymen, the scenes on TVM of ITU patients being moved have created a deep sense of unease.

The hospital press people made much of the fact that there was one ITU patient per ambulance and that they were assisted all the (short) way from St Luke’s to Tal-Qroqq but viewers could see for themselves the patients coming out of the cosy heat of the ITU and trundled past ambulances belching fumes and other vehicles to the waiting ambulances.

Could it have been done differently? Or rather, could not there have been any other way to avoid the need to transfer patients in such a delicate state of health? Or at least, could there not have been a way to get the ambulances inside the hospital?

Spokesmen for Mater Dei disagree: they say that patients are moved only when the consultants say there is no danger for them and that patient safety is paramount all the way through.

But then, health and security at the ITU has long been deteriorating. There was a time, years ago, when entry to ITU was restricted to one visitor per day for a very short period, and that visitor had to be fully clothed in sterilised garments from head to toe. Progressively, or regressively, such strictness was later relaxed and until recently any number of people could be seen wandering about. Even when the walls needed painting, it is said, this was done in the presence of patients.

Even during migration to Mater Dei there were episodes such as the famous Albert Fenech operation and a visit to ITU at St Luke’s where journalists were allowed in without protective clothing.

It is very much to be hoped now that migration is almost over, that Mater Dei reinforces the rules especially in such delicate areas.