The total number of foreign nurses working in public hospitals and with the Department of the Elderly is of 290, according to information presented by Minister for Health, Chris Fearne. This was said in answer to a parliamentary question by PN MP Censu Galea.

188 of the nurses are currently working in Mater Dei Hospital, while the others are working at the Oncology Hospital, Karin Grech Hospital, Mt Carmel Hospital, St Vincent de Paule, Homes for the Elderly, Sir Paul Voffa Hospital, primary health care clinics and Gozo General Hospital.

The Minister also spoke about waiting time for cataract operations under local anaesthetic being reduced during the current PL administration from three years to four months. At the end of 2013, there were 3,580 cases, however now there are 1,231 cases.

Waiting time for angiogram procedures have also been significantly reduced and, as a result, there are only 11 people on the list today in comparison to the 293 at the end of 2012.

There was also a reduction in patients waiting for hip replacements over the last three years from 334 to 270; and for knee replacement surgery from 1,733 to 1,192.

Mr Fearne said that there are plans to increase the workforce in terms of nurses to be better able to reduce the current waiting lists even further.