A few weeks ago I attended the prize giving ceremony of the Mater Dei Worker of the Year Awards. In their brief speeches, both Lawrence Gonzi and John Dalli delivered short but significant statements. The message was loud and clear – Mater Dei must strive for excellence. The country has spent a fortune building and equipping these state-of-the-art facilities; now it is up to us to provide state-of-the art services. It is also up to us to use these services wisely and efficiently. Not one to mince his words, Minister Dalli pointed out that with Mater Dei, expectations have increased exponentially and rising to these challenges will not be an easy task. This will mean increased efficiency, tight cost control and the fostering of a “value for money” culture.
After a near seamless transfer from Saint Luke’s Hospital, Mater Dei has now been in full operation for the last nine months. Up to the end of June, almost 20,000 operations have been carried out. New practices have been introduced and new codes of conduct initiated. It is apparent that the initial shock on the part of patients and their relatives to the new surroundings has been assimilated. Slowly, the hospital is being relieved of its function as a dispensary as the Pharmacy of your Choice scheme gathers momentum. New services are being initiated as we speak. Other hospitals like Zammit Clapp and Sir Paul Boffa are also in the process of restructuring and re-location.
Running such a large and sensitive outfit that is a general hospital requires dedication, professionalism, a strong sense of management and a large dose of pragmatism. At Mater Dei, as in all other hospitals around the world, no day is like any other. Life and death situations are continually being played out. Managing such a huge workforce efficiently will always remain an achievement.
What worries me is that it is becoming increasingly apparent that sections of our local media are transforming Mater Dei into a political target. The reasons may be manifold – blatantly political, subliminally commercial or plain tabloid considerations. Don’t get me wrong, constructive criticism and justified complaints should be the order of the day. The people who come to Mater Dei, be they patients or visitors, should expect the best and nothing less. Patients expect an efficient and reliable service with the least amount of discomfort and delay. What strikes me as crass and unfair are comments such as those that Mater Dei is just corridors, plaques and marble. Making a news item from a misaddressed letter and, almost daily, suggesting obliquely that things at Mater Dei have never been worse are blatantly opportunistic and self-serving.
As in other significant national institutions, Mater Dei will always be in the limelight. This I believe is essential and imperative. What are unnecessary are the cynical overtures that are plainly unconstructive and clearly demoralizing. Raising standards and improving systems take time and patience. We must also understand our resource limitations both human and financial. This is no excuse for not striving harder, rather it should make us stronger, helping to identify our strengths and weaknesses and hence encourage us to move forward.
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Ms Galea is an MDH
employee and a member of the Executive Committee of the Nationalist Party