The health authorities yesterday held a meeting with cancer specialist Stephen Brincat, in connection with comments about people dying from chemotherapy toxicity in Gozo, a joint statement by the Ministry for Gozo and the Ministry for Health said.

Dr Brincat last week resigned as head of the Oncology Department.

The Department of Health said that after the meeting, it was informed that the former head of the Oncology Department can recall two cases where patients passed away having had treatment in Gozo against the advice of their consultant.

“These cases occurred more than 15 years ago. At the time there was no specialist register in place to stipulate the administration of chemotherapy. The introduction of specialist registers since EU accession provides for appropriate safeguards for patients in the overseeing of administration of chemotherapy,” they noted.