The nursing union, headed by Paul Pace, said that it will be withdrawing its directive issued last week tied to the parking problem which exists at the new Oncology Centre for employees with immediate effect.

MUMN recently issued a press release which stated that it will not allow any migration to take place from Boffa Hospital to the new Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Hospital at Mater Dei unless the parking problem issue is resolved. The current Mater Dei Hospital parking spaces are not even sufficient for the relatives and the staff working in Mater Dei Hospital, let alone for a another new hospital, the MUMN said.

The MUMN said that after it instilled pressure on the authorities and the hospital’s management, an official visit was organised by the MDH management and members of the Health Division to check the planned additional car spaces since construction works are still being carried out in the confines of the new oncology centre. The MUMN said that there would be an additional 140 parking spaces for employees made available. It is assuming that there will be around 120 employees at one given time present in the new oncology hospital.

Relatives attending to the patients of the new Oncology Hospital can use the current parking spaces available for relatives, the MUMN said.

Although it is planned that the current helicopter pad in Mater Dei Hospital is to be converted into a multi storey care park, such a project has still not been started at the detriment of the staff and relatives visiting Mater Hospital.

MUMN strongly encourages that this project on the helicopter pad starts as quickly as possible especially when a further extension of MDH is due to take place later on this year. Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne had assured MUMN that such new parking spaces in the helicopter pad will be made available by the end of this year.