The mass exodus of nurses from the profession and the controversial VGH hospital deal were the main topics of discussion in a meeting Opposition leader Bernard Grech had with the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) at their new premises in Qormi.

MUMN president Paul Pace said that “a lot of wards in the various hospitals around Malta are operating with just one nurse rather than the ideal 6.”

Pace put specific importance on wards such as the intensive care unit, Karen Grech wards and Mount Carmel Hospital which require patients to be under constant watch around the clock. “We had to abandon this concept because of the lack of nurses.”

Throughout last year, the United Kingdom reduced the requirements for nurses who want to move to the UK and work as nurses. Pace called this a poaching exercise “which cost Malta 400 foreign nurses and over 100 Maltese nurses.”

The main reason for this exodus, according to Pace is due to the better wages and standard of living the British government is willing to provide.

Pace also said that the phenomenon of lack of nurses is being felt worldwide and other countries are resorting to poach nurses from smaller or poorer countries. “It is not right that Malta has to result in poaching nurses from India and Pakistan in order to make ends meet. We have to invest in our local recruitment.”

Importance was also given by Pace to nurses who abandoned the profession for a better wage in areas such as iGaming.

Shifting focus on the VGH deal, Pace stated that “this situation has put even more doubt in the minds of people looking to start a career in the health industry. When the government is not taking certain situations seriously this in turn means a dip in nurse intake.”

MUMN although they stated that at first they welcomed the VGH deal, they then realised that all that was promised was not going to happen.

Grech then said that the government has to have its priorities in check. “Only when we realise that educators, nurses and other health professionals are indispensable will we start to make progress.”

Pace then shifted focus to a harrowing statistic which shows that in the previous round of graduations from the University of Malta only 122 nurses graduated. This is in stark contrast to the usual average of around 300. “Out of these 122 graduates, 22 of them went on to continue studying to become doctors. This is only fair but it means that in one year only 100 nurses graduated.”

Grech said that “the governments priorities have to be shifted and unlike the labour government who manages by crisis, a PN led government will address key issues which should have been addressed years ago while making the profession more attractive as well as improving the working and living conditions of these indispensable workers.

Media questions

 

Answering questions by the media, Grech addressed the issue of lack of nurses in Malta, the VGH deal and mental health institutions.

With regard to the lack of nurses, Grech said that the harsh realities face by nurses can be seen through meeting with the relevant unions. “We are in a situation where one nurse has to cope with the workload usually conducted by six nurses and this is not acceptable.”

According to Grech this may result in a slightly inferior service to the patient while also posing a risk. “This is in no way shape or form the fault of the nurse but the government has to make the changes necessary. I have been talking about this for months and we have to make recruitment process more attractive.”

“This can be done by tackling the student intake problem and in our manifest we tackle this issue specifically tackling the working conditions, wages and so on. This will not only be done with our nurses but our educators too and all indispensable professions.”

Grech also stated that a PN led government would not be wasting funds on an excess amount of persons of trust “with those funds being re invested into people at the front line.”

VGH deal

On the VGH deal, Grech stressed the importance of both ends keeping up their end of the deal. “If there was a PN led government this deal would not have happened and now unfortunately we find ourselves in a situation where Malta is being cheated.”

Grech also stated that if the PN would be leading the country after the election, the first step would be to have a look at the contracts in place since “they are currently under lock and key.”

“From what was already revealed about the contracts, it is clear as day that there is cause for fraud and both parties concerned are saying this. We know about this and our only aim is to tackle these issues as soon as possible. We want to stop the contract with Stewards because that contract is not being upheld to the expense of the tax payer.”

Golden passport scheme

The passport scheme is something which a PN led government will look to keep. However Grech stated that although one cannot ignore the investment it brought to our country, “we have to revise the whole system with a proper due diligence operation in place.”

“We have to make sure that applicants are proud to be holders of a Maltese passport and there should be no secrecy in the matter. We have to discuss together with our European counterparts on the matter and find a viable solution for all.”

Grech said that the golden passport scheme “should not be used for Russian infiltrators or any other people who seek to abuse the system for their gain.”

Mental health

The mental health situation has always needed its attention, Grech claimed. “In 2013 the mental health institutions already needed a bolstering but this government has ignored them for years. They have not even invested in the preliminary infrastructure needed to start works in this matter.”

“We must now focus not on what the labour government has not done but on what we will do if elected to government.”

As part of the electoral manifesto Grech reminded everyone that a new mental health hospital will be built in the vicinities of Mater Dei as well as community centers aimed at tackling the issue at the comfort zone of the patients