The issue of hospital overcrowding has been in the news quite a lot of late. This newspaper first broke the story  last week, when we revealed that patients were being moved around the wards to prevent the proliferation of bed-in corridor syndrome.

Then a few days later, we broke the news that all non-essential operations at Mater Dei had been postponed. The Health Minister spoke up and said that only 17 operations had been moved, on the day in question. But doctors and nurses gave a different version of events, and said that once the influenza virus spikes in the coming weeks – as it does – the problem was going to become even more acute.

The government announced that it has created more bed space – but the 40-50 increase (no one is quite sure how many spaces were created) is simply not enough, and is a mere drop in the ocean when compared to the problems that are being faced.

This problem is not one unique to Malta. All over the world, hospitals are facing bed shortages because we are living longer, eating more, smoking more and generally getting ill and taking up bed space. But it is clear that something has to be done. Mater Dei’s doctors and nurses have already said that the system is buckling under the sheer weight of numbers of patients. In order to process things, they are simply going at their own pace – in an effort to control the flow. But in turn, surgery is now being moved, simply because there is not enough people – or space – to cater for demand.

Creating more bed space is a means to an end. The whole system needs a radical overhaul, top to bottom – especially when it comes to the issue of ‘social cases’ who have nowhere to go. It has been happening for years, people have abused the system and ‘dumped’ family members there because the creaking system in the homes for the elderly cannot cater for demand either.

Mater Dei’s corridors are equipped to deal with patients in corridors – there are access points, power points and the essentials that medical staff need to treat patients in the event of a pandemic. And that is a worry. If Mater Dei is already stretched to the limit, what would actually happen if some form of illness gripped the country? What would we do then? If our corridors are already filled up, what would happen if some virus doubled (or more) the patient population? We would literally have a national emergency on our hands, with camps having to be set up outdoors. Do we even have enough medical professionals to deal with such a situation?

We have no doubt that the government is doing its utmost to better control the situation. This is not a problem that was created overnight, but has accumulated over the years.  And equally, the solution will not be found overnight. The amount of reports commissioned do not matter either, what needs to be done here is a thorough evaluation of what is actually happening and taking action.