If the founding blocks of a prosperous economy are its schools and universities, then the foundation of a thriving society is a strong and accessible health-care system. Over the past two decades we have seen formidable advances in both sectors in Malta but it is in the field of health care that the expectations of so many citizens have been surpassed. Our primary health-care system is now considered one of the foremost in Europe.

The government has invested heavily in a new hospital and in new technologies that enable patients suffering from certain conditions to receive treatment in Malta, close to their families, rather than having to travel abroad. But to make these investments sustainable in the long run, we need the right people with the right skills. The introduction of specialised courses at the University of Malta now allows students to specialise in cutting-edge sectors without having to foot the costs of overseas tuition.

Investing in new health-care infrastructure and technologies is of crucial importance for a healthy society. Some of this investment will be futile if we fail to underline the importance of preventive health care. Success here will largely depend on educating citizens from an early age about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. In this regard, much more can be done in Malta compared to other EU countries. Surveys have shown that the national obesity rate, particularly among children, is one of the highest in the world. This has dangerous knock-on effects for other conditions, like diabetes and heart disease.

The Mediterranean diet has long been lauded as a healthy alternative to the fatty, high-cholesterol western diet. But, due to our historical exposure to non-Mediterranean cultures, the average contemporary Maltese diet has veered considerably from that in other Mediterranean countries. For all intents and purposes, our average diet is decidedly western, at least in its side effects. Ideally, we would go back to our culinary roots but piecemeal initiatives like the introduction of “fruit breaks” at schools offer greater prospects for success. One can only hope this will then bring about a shift in food culture in Maltese households.

The world over, health-care systems tend to be a reflection of a country’s level of social solidarity and economic and technological prowess and each system has its own shortcomings. There is room for improvement in our health-care system too. Reducing long waiting lists for non-emergency treatment and the waiting time in the Emergency Department are just two of the main concerns that should be tackled as soon as possible. In order to do this it is important to raise awareness about our health centres and improve their services. The eight or so health centres in Malta are already providing invaluable service to thousands of patients but we must go further than that.

The scheme recently introduced by the government through which patients can use private pharmacies to buy subsidised prescription medicine is a step in the right direction. Initiatives like this help to ease the burden on Mater Dei Hospital. The fact that more than 54,000 citizens will benefit from this scheme and that more than €7.2 million worth of medicine were disbursed from local pharmacies last year is proof enough of this. This is the first step towards an ideal situation where patients’ primary health-care needs are met locally.

Patients should be placed at the centre of any sound health-care system and health services should therefore be made as accessible as possible. An important part of this is the transfer of as many services as possible to local health centres. This would transform the relationship between patient and doctor into one of familiarity and trust. It will also, naturally, lead to a better service.

As citizens we should also do our part not to needlessly overburden the system. The efficiency of our public health-care services depends, to a great extent, on citizens exercising their own judgement before seeking emergency treatment. Much of the backlog in the Emergency Department is caused by people with minor injuries that, for some reason or another, do not avail themselves of the facilities in local health centres.

Secondary and tertiary health care is also constantly evolving. The government is investing in yet another specialised hospital to treat cancer patients and dermatological conditions.

The hospital, with a capacity of about 850 patients, has been conceived as a teaching hospital and will be able to offer the most advanced treatment in each field.

We are beginning to view our health-care system from a different angle and the government is doing a good job in laying the groundwork for the future. There are many health-care sectors that need particular attention and these must be provided for. We also have to cater for the needs of an aging population, keeping in mind that many of our elderly remain professionally active well into old age. It is important to provide the elderly with the care they need while enabling them to remain integrated in society.

Maintaining a healthy society is a never-ending challenge. We have been successful in providing an excellent service so far but we must not rest on our laurels.

The author is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.