The Medical Association of Malta (MAM) has filed a judicial protest against the privatisation and/or outsourcing of more government medical services, particularly IVF services.
In a statement on Friday, the association said that after the 2018 doctors’ strike in protest at the transfer of the government hospitals to Steward, an agreement was signed where the government promised to carry out meaningful consultation with MAM for any future privatisation and bound itself to obtain the consent of the MAM prior to any privatization/ outsourcing.
In the judicial protest, the MAM said that it had immediately, and publicly, objected to the concession when the deal was made, deeming it as one which was not in the public’s, and patient’s interests.
It also said that government is working to privatise certain public medical services, which is against the same agreement it was tied to, to consult with the association.
“This agreement has not been respected by the Government as it has published tenders without any consultation or obtained consent as stipulated,” the MAM said.
The association said it is protesting government’s lack of transparency, which is crucial in light of the Vitals/Steward case which turned out to be fraudulent.
“The association insists that any privatisation of medical services has to abide with signed agreements, have patients' best interest at their core and proper scrutiny of how taxpayer money is being spent,” it said.
The MAM said that Malta's main health infrastructure is now “in crisis” as a result of the €400 million paid to Vitals/Steward.
“This crisis can only be solved with a holistic plan involving all the stakeholders,” it said.
It continued that the MAM is not against the involvement of the private sector in cutting waiting lists, including for IVF.
“However, the blatant disregard of existing agreements and the lack of consultation does not reassure doctors that the government has learned the lessons from the Vitals/Steward fraud,” the MAM said.
It called on government to stop further privatisation until proper meaningful consultation is completed.