Nurse Carmen Attard has been named Mount Carmel Hospital Worker of the Year for 2011. Ms Attard, who is in charge of the 8B Ward (Men), was described by the Health Ministry as having “consistently shown eagerness to develop a clear vision for the ward where she works. She and her team continued to improve the level of service to the patients entrusted to their care. In the past Ms Attard was also involved into voluntary work”.

The team of Support Services of Mount Carmel Hospital, which coordinates numerous essential tasks such as cleaning, gardening, transportation and other important services, won the hospital’s Team of the Year Award.

The awards are given each year by the hospital’s management to honour and thank workers who provide their services over and beyond the call of duty.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly and Community Care Mario Galea, who was present at the event, explained how mental health care Services in Malta “have come a long way”. He said the government is also increasing its investment in other community services, where €7 million has been invested over the last four years. Last year, some 14,000 people used mental health services in the community.

He added that the event was a celebration of the work carried out by Mount Carmel Hospital and the mental community services section, which often goes unnoticed by the general public. The stigma of mental health, he noted, was not only attached to clients but also to professionals working in this sector.