The Thalidomide Survivors Association (Malta), in a statement, said that it is deeply disappointed by the statement issued by the Ministry for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector.

The ministry, making reference to an article that appeared in the Times of Malta titled  'Two years on, €2 million yet to be paid in thalidomide compensation', had said that the report concerns the ex-gratia financial compensation currently being provided by the government to surviving victims of the drug Thalidomide, and said that this case dates back to the early 1960s.

"Although Thalidomide was internationally banned in 1961, the Maltese Government at the time continued to allow its availability until 1968, after interventions in Parliament by the then-Opposition. Today's government is compensating those individuals who were victims of this drug and who are still alive." The ministry said that a compensation formula was established based on the individual's percentage of disability and age. "An independent board of medical experts was appointed to begin assessing each case submitted to the government. A screening exercise (pre-assessments) was initiated, during which applicants were first asked to give their consent for the medical board to access their medical records at Mater Dei Hospital, so that the Ministry could carry out the required verifications on conditions caused by Thalidomide. After the screening process was completed, applicants were informed whether they qualified to proceed to the next stage. Those who did qualify underwent a physical assessment which determined their percentage of disability."

As a result of this verification process and in line with the established formula, it was determined that the minimum amount to be paid was €22,537 while the highest amount was €68,815, the ministry said.

It said that the figure of €3 million mentioned by a particular individual "was an estimate of the what could have been the total payout, after the number of victims and their disability percentages was established. "Following a thorough assessment of all those who applied for compensation, it was determined that the total amount of compensation due was €1,086,008.62. Initially, it had been planned that the compensation would be paid over a seven-year period. However, after obtaining approval from the Ministry for Finance, it was decided that the payments would be made over a shorter period - namely, three years," the ministry had said, adding that the first payment was made in May 2024, and that the second and third payments would be made this year and next.

The association, in response, said that "one should not forget that in July 2023, there was a press release by above-mentioned Ministry that stated to the effect that the Thalidomide survivors are to be awarded the sum of €3 million. The fact that Thalidomide survivors received just around one third of the promised amount is disappointing. That press release also failed to explain in a proper way how and why the compensation was revised downwards. It failed to explain in depth the tool and criteria through which Thalidomide survivors were assessed to calculate their due compensation."

"The fact that the amount offered by the Maltese government as compensation is paltry compared to what Thalidomide survivors in other countries have received (and in some cases still receiving) is likewise disappointing," the association continued. "The Maltese government was also not forthcoming when it comes to negotiations with the manufacturers of the drug. Indeed, the association is tackling this on its own initiative, unlike as to what happened beyond our shores."

The association asked the Government of Malta to provide with a detailed explanation on how and why the compensation was reduced to around €1 million, "and how the medical board came up with the assessment of extent of disability due to Thalidomide. It is also to provide a clear and unequivocal timeline on how the €3 million will be compensated to all eligible Thalidomide survivors in Malta. Finally, the government should refrain from misleading the general public on the matter, and equally important it is not to backtrack on what it has originally promised."