This week, the Euro Health Consumer Index issued a report and its verdict on Malta’s healthcare system was damning, to say the least.

Aside from the tragic news of patients breathing their last in makeshift ward corridors, the EHCI said that while Malta’s healthcare had improved marginally over the previous year, it had slipped one spot to 27th place.

That might not sound too bad, until you read into the report further. Malta scored 582 points and by comparison, the top spot – Netherlands – scored 898 points. The report goes on to list that, on the plus side, Malta strengthened patient information, improved the range and reach of services and became more active in prevention. The study also said it looks as if Malta finally has tried to address the severe diabetes problem.

But the bad outweighs the good. The report said that most of the weaknesses which had been identified in the past have not been addressed. These, said the report, predate the Mater Dei Hospital.

In fact, experts who compiled the report said that they were told time and time again (pre2007) that Mater Dei would bring about great change and an improvement to Maltese healthcare and do away with hospital infections and poor treatment outcomes. The damning comment was: “We now have the sad record: Very little has really improved. Malta is in need of a radical healthcare overhaul.”

The report also found that waiting times in Malta were too long and medical outcomes are “not even mediocre”. In truth, there is nothing in what was said that we did not know already.

In parliament on Wednesday night, Health Minister Konrad Mizzi said that the government was not happy with the situation and that the government will continue to strive to improve the quality of care and more.

He said that the government was going to build a new ward. But what will that solve? Perhaps overcrowding will be reduced a little, but it will not do much more. It is clear that the EU agency which compiled the report is 100% correct in that Malta needs a radical overhaul of its healthcare system.

Dr Mizzi is right – people do die in hospitals. He is also right in saying that the government inherited massive problems from the previous administration. But the PL has promised to improve the situation at Mater Dei. The government says that some improvements have been registered. But it is also clear that these improvements have been minor and a lot more needs to be done. Malta deserves better.