The National Palliative Care Strategy 2025-2035 has been launched, the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing stated on Thursday.

Health Minister Abela said that the main objective of the strategy is to continue strengthening access to palliative care as an integrated and key component of the country’s healthcare system, with an emphasis on primary healthcare as well as community and home care services.

He continued that through this strategy, the government is ensuring that services are responsive, coordinated, and flexible to meet individual needs that change while preserving the patient’s dignity during the period of illness. He said that another important point from the strategy is that a discussion will be held with stakeholders so that, through a number of government and private entities as well as NGOs, such care is offered in a number of places including nursing homes. He added that part of this is also to have sufficient human resources to continue providing constant support, even in the patient’s personal home.

The minister stated that this type of care has been offered in Malta both in hospitals and nursing homes, but that this strategy will be increasing awareness and that the government is committed to ensuring that the services continue to grow. Abela commented that the government is working so that if someone wishes to spend their last moments in their personal home, then doing so can be done without issue.

“Palliative care as we wish and as this strategy testifies is a holistic one that looks at the needs and symptoms of the patient from every aspect. We wish that a person who is in the last phase of life due to chronic conditions, is offered a dignified service where their symptoms are totally controlled. Our goal is for every person to live with dignity even in this phase of life,” Minister Abela concluded.