There were over 115,000 admissions to Mater Dei Hospital’s accident and emergency (A&E) department in 2021, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne told Parliament on Monday.

He was replying to a parliamentary question by PN MP Ivan Bartolo.

Fearne said there were 115,068 admissions, with the figure including all departments used by the patients.

The Deputy PM said efforts are underway to ensure that the A&E department goes back to its pre-pandemic operational model.

In fact, the paediatric emergency section has moved back to its original location and all patients can be accompanied by one visitor. The hospital must still observe pandemic rules and it is still operating on a larger footprint to observe infection control procedures, he continued. All patients who are admitted to hospital have to do a Covid test.