Social dialogue could not make progress by laying down decisions which are then imposed without the decisions being taken after consultation with the social partners, Labour Party leader Joseph Muscat said when he met representatives of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses at their premises in Mosta.

Dr Muscat said that for the Labour Party the health sector was crucial. Health care in Malta must remain free because they could not have a situation where only those who could afford paying would be cured. The MLP wanted to talk with and consult those who worked in the health sector, such as the MUMN, but by consultation the MLP did not mean only listening to views.

Dr Muscat said there should be a maximum waiting period for patients needing surgery. If that period were exceeded, the state should take corrective measures. It was false to assume that those on the waiting list did not cost money. The private sector should be utilised much more, by having partnerships between the public and private sectors in health without any additional costs for patients.

MUMN president Paul Pace referred to the nursing shortage and the union felt hurt in seeing operating theatres at Mater Dei Hospital remaining unutilised and wards lying abandoned. At the fertilisation unit there was all the equipment that was needed but no use was being made of it. It did not make sense, Mr Pace said, for the government to claim that it wanted to cut waiting lists but then not employ new nurses.

Before the general election, he added, agreement had been concluded with the government under which they would be making all efforts to employ all the nurses possible, but now they were playing a different record. No nursing manpower plan had been made though the country needed such a plan for the next five years.

It was calculated that they needed another 187 nurses at Mater Dei. 300 more were needed throughout the country, Mr Pace said.

Dr Muscat said an agreement that was signed should be implemented in full, if they were to be credible. If the government had had doubts about the nursing agreement before the election, it should not have signed it. They should not continue taking decisions on the basis of election cycles.

Prof. Anthony Zammit, Dr Muscat said, would be the party spokesman on health, following the death of Karl Chircop. Michael Farrugia would remain main spokesman on social policy.