The revocation of the directive which would have removed religious symbols from public health centre around the island was not a case which involved the separation between Church and State, Health Minister Chris Fearne said.

Net News reported on Sunday that, according to the circular sent to health centres, all religious symbols and pictures were to be removed as “since the clinic is a health entity and we consider ourselves to be a multi-cultural society.”

The circular also states that forms bearing the old PrimaryCare logo are to be removed, that unnecessary items are to be cleared up and that notice boards may only be used for notices that are strictly related to PrimaryCare services.

Answering questions from the media, Fearne maintained that there is “no doubt” a separation between the Church and State, and this was not a case where the Church or a religious individual is dictating the way the Health Department, or any other government department is run.

“This is a question of individual feelings or emotion, and I do not think politicians should get into whether a person can express their personal religion uninhibited.”

The Health Minister insisted that they are not forcing anyone to put up any religious symbols, but that whoever feels that they wish to express their devotion in this way, particularly now during Holy Week, then the government should not be an obstacle.

Questions sent this morning to PrimaryCare were forwarded to the Ministry communications department rather than answered by PrimaryCare themselves, and Fearne asserted that this was procedure.

“The communications officer deals with the media so, as always, including in this case, that is what will happen.”

The source of the original circular came from a nursing manager from PrimaryCare, and the Minister has explained that he asked the CEO Roseanne Camilleri to look into it.

He also clarified that he was not consulted in this decision.