A matter of priorities

What is the use of having a 'state-of-the-art' hospital if patients taken to the Emergency Department - some in a critical condition - have to get through 'hell' first before being given a bed in a ward or a room.

Patients are having to spend endless hours - up to 20, if not more - on a stretcher with no pillows or other amenities, in a corridor at the Emergency Department before they are taken to a proper ward or room at the hospital.

What sort of priorities does this government have? Why is the Prime Minister so keen to spend €80 million or more to build a new Parliament building when most of the time Parliament is almost empty?

Why is he so keen to have the new Parliament project ready before the next general election? Wouldn't it make more sense to provide urgent, much needed space at Mater Dei?

How about adding another floor, if this is still possible? Or urgently refurbishing part of St Luke's Hospital and transferring the social cases who are now occupying beds at Mater Dei to the former hospital?

Or how about sending patients to private hospitals if the government is unable to provide a proper bed in a proper ward at Mater Dei?

I sincerely hope that the "pig-headedness" mentioned by Nationalist MP Jean Pierre Farrugia, will give way to reason and priority is given to what the people urgently need - a proper and efficient service at Mater Dei.