Nurses’ union questions plans for Boffa Hospital

The nurses’ union is challenging the government to reveal its plans to keep Boffa Hospital open once the new Tal-Qroqq oncology centre is operational, arguing that the proposal is not feasible due to a shortage of nurses.

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses yesterday referred to a story on a news portal which quoted Parliamentary Secretary for Health Chris Fearne saying that the conversion of Sir Paul Boffa Hospital in Floriana to a general hospital would be carried out by the end of the year.

The MUMN said it was shocked and surprised at such a plan, saying there was no mention of it in a recent meeting with the Human Resources Management within the Health Division. It argued that, even if all 160 nursing course students graduate and are recruited with the health division, Boffa Hospital alone would require an additional 60 nurses.

On the other hand it cautioned against the recruitment of foreign nurses, due to the language barrier. The MUMN claimed that last year the health division employed a number of foreign nurses in breach of the Health Care Professions Act which stated that such candidates needed to be fluent in Maltese or English.

“A sensitive area such as the health sector cannot be used for political stunts on the media taking both the union and the Health Division by surprise with no consultation on both the logistics and human resources,” the MUMN said.