Health Minister Chris Fearne has announced that the 24/7 online medical service Telemedicine which was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta will be kept even as Malta recovers from the virus.
The COVID-19 pandemic saw the cancellation of most medical appointments in order to reduce the spread of the virus.
However, an online mechanism for medical consultation was implemented so that COVID positive patients can be monitored by their respective medical professional through Skype or Zoom.
Telemedicine is available across all of Malta and Gozo for a 24 hour period every day. Those who seek to use this service will first communicate with a representative from the Client Support Centre and will then be redirected to the Telemedicine Centre, which is manned by family doctors, if they require further assistance. These doctors are responsible for giving professional medical advice or sending a doctor to the patient’s home when it is needed.
During a meeting with the doctors behind Telemedicine, Fearne shared his appreciation with the fact that the pandemic resulted in more innovative ways of communicating with medical professionals without having to meet them physically.
“It is of great satisfaction to me that over 15,000 people, have contacted the centre in the few months that this service have been active, excluding COVID patients who are still being monitored by doctors working in this centre,” Fearne said.