Bad news always grabs more attention than good news. That is part of life.

But it is wrong that positive achievements are sometimes overlooked, more so when these concern what is possibly the greatest treasure one possesses – our health.

Mater Dei Hospital has been in the news for the past 16 years, and most of the time it has been so for the wrong reasons. We all remember the controversy that surrounded its building, how long it took to be completed, the change of plans when there was a change of government, the expenses involved and so on and so forth.

It was a story that made the headlines over and over again, and it subsided only when the hospital was officially opened and started to offer its services. Yet, detractors found other negative things to say once patients started moving in, and more often than not Mater Dei is mentioned only when someone wants to talk about surgery waiting lists.

We are in no way defending anyone here because, after all, such delays are a dent in the local health system. Nobody likes to wait for surgery, however minor it is.

But what is not said, and what is sometimes conveniently ignored, is that urgent matters are seen to urgently, and people who are in need of a surgery there and then are not put on waiting lists, but are taken directly into operating theatres.

In fact, the number of operations that are carried out per day at Mater Hospital increased to an average of 99 last year, nine more than in 2007. This year, the number increased further to 105 operations per day between January and June, according to the latest figures made available.

And, of course, operations are only part of the services that the hospital offers. More than 350,000 patients were visited in the out-patients department in 2008, for an average of 959 per day. Some 12 patients per hour were seen at the Accident and Emergency Department – again, not on a first come first served basis, but depending on the urgency of the ailment or condition. Added to this, more than 13,000 laboratory tests are carried out each day.

Earlier this week, parliamentary secretary Joe Cassar highlighted other services that are offered at Mater Dei Hospital – for example, 3,886 patients received occupational treatment in 20,789 sessions.

He was speaking during a press conference aimed to bring to the public’s attention services other than those provided by doctors and nurses. The latter professionals do come in contact with patients and provide an excellent service, but they are not the only people who provide a service in the hospital.

Unfortunately, they do not get the attention they deserve. Yet, without them, the hospital would not be in a position to offer the high-quality health services that our health system provides and, let’s not forget, all this is carried out free of charge.

Of course, not everything is perfect. There are still matters that need to be seen to. For example, people still complain that they are given an appointment at 8am but are seen three or four hours later. The surgery waiting lists need to be cut down and it is heartening to know that a centralised system is being set up to reduce waiting time.

But, on the whole, it must be admitted that apart from having a hospital that is state-of-the-art in terms of facilities and comfort for patients, it also offers a service that other countries envy.