The Health Ministry yesterday issued a statement in which it reminded nurses of their duty towards patients.

The ministry said that directives ordered by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) at Mount Carmel Hospital endangered the lives of patients.

It said that refusal to administer medicine and treatment to patients who are “vulnerable” is unacceptable. It also pointed out, with a rare exclamation mark, that nurses have been ordered not to deal with patients who become aggressive because they have not received their medication. The ministry reminded that nurses have a duty towards their patients and branded the directives as being “baseless”.

Throughout this week various patients have been affected by MUMN’s ‘insensitive’ directives, which is unacceptable, the ministry concluded.