The Health Department has allowed a great shortage of carers in Gozo General Hospital to take place over this year and half at the detriment of the patients and the elderly residents residing in Ward St Anna, MUMN said.

The nurses' union said such shortages were also due to the fact that certain carers were transferred to security guards or other duties without any replacements. Presently over twenty carers are needed to fill the long existing vacancies in a small hospital such as the Gozo General hospital.

Although MUMN has been sending correspondence about this issue for more than a year, the commitments by the Health Division of engaging carers never materialized, even though this was promised on numerous occasions. While nurses were transferred from Malta to GGH three times in this legislation (due to MUMN directives), carers who are an important supporting staff to nurses (especially in the elderly care), were never recruited in Gozo General Hospital.

MUMN has given a deadline to the Health Department that if by 10 October 2014 such carers are not provided, all nurses in Gozo General hospital including the nurses working in St. Anna Ward would stop doing the work of such carers and concentrate only on their responsibilities.

For more than a year nurses in GGH especially those working in St. Anna had to do all the additional  work which should have been provided by such cares just to maintain a decent service to the elderly and due to the great respect nurses have for their patients. But after a year of just unkept promises and taking MUMN for a ride, it has become clear that the elderly patients of Gozo General Hospital are not of a priority to the Heath Department in Malta.