President of the Medical Association of Malta (MAM) Martin Balzan has told The Malta Independent that, on Monday morning, MAM representatives met with senior government officials in a "cordial, calm and professional" meeting.
MAM is now waiting for these officials to discuss these proposals with their bosses, including Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela, and give a written response over the coming days.
MAM has been at loggerheads with the government over a lack of consultation regarding the outsourcing of emergency services to private hospitals. Last Friday, MAM held a meeting with a government delegation including Minister Joe Etienne Abela, where the association said it presented several solutions to address the current crisis at health centres and at the Emergency department. "This meeting was characterised by lots of shouting and finger pointing by Minister Joe Etienne Abela to the extent that the MAM delegation had to leave the meeting because it was not the right attitude for professional discussion," the association had said. Of particular concern was the ministry's decision to proceed with private sector outsourcing without obtaining MAM's written consent, which directly violates the binding standing agreement with the government, the association had stated, and it issued new directives.
Last weekend, Abela alleged that Balzan's gripe in this matter stems from him not having received a promotion at Mater Dei Hospital. To this, MAM responded that the Minister's allegation is "unserious" and that the decision to issue directives was taken by the entire MAM council on 9 January 2025.
Balzan told this newsroom that Monday morning's meeting was a positive one; no politicians were present, he remarked.
The MAM President stated that while the meeting was cordial, the association cannot say that progress has been made until the officials who were present discuss the proposals with their higher-ups and an official response is received.
MAM's proposals were felt to have been "well-received" by the government officials present at Monday's discussion table, he said.
On this, Balzan said that MAM will consider postponing its scheduled Wednesday directives if the government returns with a positive reply by Wednesday morning.
"If we don't reach an agreement, the directives will go ahead on Wednesday. If there is goodwill and tangibles, we will consider postponing them till we reach a final agreement," Balzan said.
For this to happen, Balzan stressed the importance that his association needs "something tangible."
Wednesday directives might see health centres go in 'emergency mode'
The MAM President described that if no agreement is reached by Wednesday, then MAM will instruct for all health centres to go into "emergency mode." This directive will call for health centres to only see "emergency cases."
Balzan said that MAM will collect feedback from its members over whether this should be amended or not in the scenario that these additional directives are issued.
MAM opted to take the route of directives "after months of being ignored" while trying to resolve present issues through dialogue. These issues relate to the "unworkable plan" to send patients to private hospitals as a means to alleviate some weight off public emergency health services.
A salient point that irked MAM within this entire dispute was the Ministry's decision to proceed with private sector outsourcing without first obtaining MAM's written consent, as stipulated by the standing agreement in place between the two parties.
On Sunday, the association said that had the government's plan been implemented, waiting times within the Emergency Department would have increased and patients would require even longer to be seen.
Balzan described that at the moment, the glass may seem half-full, though negotiations are still not near a full close.
"It's still half-time," he said.