A new clinic has been inaugurated in the Birżebbuġa locality. The Ministry for Health and Active Ageing said that it will be serving over 14,000 residents of Birżebbuġa as well as people who live in the surrounding area.

Minister for Health and Active Ageing Jo Etienne Abela said that the opening of this clinic means that 4 primary care centres have been opened during the month of March.

The new Birżebbuġa clinic will be offering the services of a family doctor, speech and language pathology, podiatry, physiotherapy, as well as social workers and professionals in mental health care. The Ministry said that the clinic was established in collaboration with the Birżebbuġa local council and was partially financed by the National Development and Social Fund.

Abela said that this now means that Malta has 26 clinics in the community which are being utilised by over 100,000 patients each year. He added that the range of primary care services in these community clinics are in line with the World Health Organisation’s work, where health care systems and services have been found to work best when closer to the community.

Birżebbuġa Mayor Scott Camilleri said that the local council recognises the work that has been done to open a clinic in the local community and said that it will surely be well received by the local residents.

The Chief Executive of Primary Health Care Roseanne Camilleri said that primary care service in Malta is being brought closer to the resident through multidisciplinary clinics such as this.