The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) insisted that the charges against a Mount Carmel Hospital (MCH) nurse over unprofessional conduct in 2017 and MCH manager Joseph Pace, must be revised and dropped immediately.
“The union will not stop fighting against such shocking accusations until these charges are dropped. If we have to, we will issue directives in all hospitals,” MUMN said.
During a press conference held outside Mount Carmel Hospital on Wednesday, the MUMN expressed its frustration, anger and shock against such accusations, arguing that it is not right to blame MCH staff, when nurses are “out of stock.”
A substantial number of MUMN members gathered outside Mount Carmel Hospital in solidarity with Joseph Pace, saying that they will not leave him alone against this fight.
Some members were also heard calling for the resignation of Health Minister Chris Fearne.
The union explained that the nurse is being charged with criminal misconduct after a patient who should be under constant watch hurt himself when no nurse or carer was available.
The police will also be prosecuting Joseph Pace in his managerial capacity, and he will be expected to go to court on 5 July.
The union explained that the case involved a patient who had been ordered to have constant one-to-one supervision, but since no staff was available in MCH, the management could not provide such supervision. As a result of lack of supervision, such patient cut himself, losing great amounts of blood. The patient was immediately saved by a number of nurses, including Joseph Pace himself.
“It is beyond shocking that such accusations emerged against a man (Joseph Pace) who is loved and cared for by many in this facility. He is dedicated to his staff members and patients, and is considered a hero at Mount Carmel,” MUMN President Paul Pace said.
He added that it is also humiliating that the Police did not look at the whole situation.
“The Police are not credible and not one to trust because if they were, they would have realised that Joe Pace went over and above to help the patient, rather than blaming him for what happened due to shortage of staff,” Pace said.
The MUMN has time and time again asked the Ministry for Health for support on this matter, but such pleads were not to no avail.
Pace said that “the way such a situation is being handled goes to show that the small fish, being the nurse, is the one who is conveniently crucified, while the top brass, such as the Health Minister and Permanent Secretary, are never involved or taken accountable.”
“The Health Minister is a cold person who didn’t intervene, left us out to dry and abdicated from his duty and responsibility. He is a person incapable of addressing the situation, and instead retorts to sending people to court,” Pace added.
He further expressed how as a union one would expect the support from the Health Ministry, but instead, it seems that “they are always against us, keeping in mind that Joseph Pace is the third person who is under police investigation and will be taken to court.”
“If the Minister had intervened when we asked for support, this would not have happened,” Pace said.
He explained that if there aren’t enough staff members, one-to-one supervision will not be possible. This is not only an existing situation within MCH but also within Mater Dei Hospital.
“How is this situation our fault, if nurses are out stock?” Pace asked.
“We are playing with people’s lives and the cost is being payed by our nurses and people like Joe Pace,” Pace said.
Pace noted that following such inaction from the Ministry for Health, MUMN will not stand by his side because when support was asked for, time and time again, the Minister did not deliver.
Meanwhile, Pace also spoke about the promises made of a new mental health hospital being built, raising his doubts that this will ever happen.
“They probably haven’t even purchased the land where the building will be built, let alone how true it is that this building will actually happen,” Pace said.