A workforce strategy for the health sector will be presented in the coming days, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Thursday.
The minister said that the World Health Organisation has recognised the lack of workers within the health sector as a threat around the world.
Officials from the organisation were also present in Malta over the past days in order to see how Malta is going to implement such a strategy, which Fearne described as "the first one of its kind".
Other strategies
The minister also said that a palliative care strategy is also going to be implemented that will improve end of life care.
Additionally the national health sex strategy is also going to be revisited. Currently, there is an ongoing nation-wide survey from which there is more information on adopted practices in the community. Results will be concluded at the beginning of 2023, whereas in the second part of the year, the strategy is going to be published for public consultation. This new strategy, although still being discussed, is not excluding the possibility of giving condoms for free, amongst other measures.
Projects for next year in primary care within the community
Fearne also said that within the next 12 months the government is going to open more health centres within the community, like the one recently opened Gharb.
Some of the localities to follow through this initiative will be Qala in Gozo, Siggiewi, Pembroke and Dingli.
Services currently offered by the genitourinary GU clinic, will also be expanded as the government is also going to introduce them in other localities as from next year.
Oncology treatment within the community
The Minister also said that in the last few days, oncological treatment has started to be administered in a number of health centres to prostate cancer patients, additionally in the near future the same treatment is also going to be given to Thyroid cancer patients. The health clinics where this service is being offered are located in Fgura and Attard.
Patients requiring chemotherapy for their cancer treatment will also be given the option to be treated at home for some cancer types, starting next year, as the government will be distributing chemotherapy pumps.
Health centre in Paola
The Health Centre being built in Paola is set to open end of May, beginning of June. The minister said that according to plan, the health centre is as big as a hospital which is going to include two operation rooms and an outpatients room. In addition ENT, Gynaecology and eye appointment services are also going to be offered. An ambulance service is also going to be included.
The building is also going to have one floor out of seven dedicated to mental health patients.
In total, the project is going to cost around €25 million, with the majority coming from European funds.
In the budget, additional support for those patients who suffer from celiac disease is also going to be given as particular foods which they might need come at a higher cost. Around eight years ago the government had introduced a €45 voucher, for celiac patients, that same voucher is now going to be increased to €65 for all patients, where over 65 patients are going to receive €70.
On free medicines, Fearne said that multiple sclerosis medication, which is fairly new is going to be also included on the national health formulary.
Mental health
On the mental health hospital, which the minister said has been mentioned in several budgets, Fearne said that this is because it takes a long time to build a hospital and to do it correctly.
The minister also announced that the health sector had very recently acquired the land on which the hospital is going to be built.
He said that the designs are already underway and next year the government is going to conclude and award the construction tender to an applicant.
Care for the carers
Fearne said that it is important that "we take care of our professionals". Hence a new measure is going to be adopted for nurses, where upon discovering a problem, health care workers will be given the necessary tools to prevent problems such as depression, anxiety and burnout from growing, or prevent it altogether.
The first health facility that is going to offer such services is going to be mount Carmel.