Replying to Labour Party claims about the health sector, the health ministry said results in diabetes treatment speak for themselves. With the more efficient monitoring system and investment in clinics and equipment there has been a drop of 33% in the number of amputations carried out.

On the dispensation of medicines, the ministry said the list of medicines which can be claimed free for chronic conditions has been doubled from 38 to 79 and it is estimated that 124,215 people can claim free medication. More operations were also being carried out, and the waiting list is being cut. Last year, 43,747 operations were carried out at Mater Dei hospital, up by 1,952 operations over 2010, and by 11,001 operations over the last full year of St Luke’s Hospital.

The ministry said there were improvements also in the care of thyroids, which involves radiation and therefore required particular attention. Certain steps have been taken, such as sending patients for care at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, and the introduction shortly of a radio iodine special treatment room at Boffa Hospital. The first eight patients will be sent to the Royal Marsden in the coming days.

The ministry said no payment was ever made to Skanska to build an oncology centre. At Boffa Hospital there are 27 beds for cancer care, the new oncology centre will have 96 beds – 74 for in-patients, and 22 for day care. The Labour leader, the ministry said, had ignored the advances made in cancer treatment, with Malta now having a national plan for it, a breast screening programme and the start of another national programme. Dr Muscat, the ministry said, had mentioned nothing of all this, but he expressed concern about parking spaces.