An agreement has been reached between the health authorities and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses for 20 elderly patients in need of constant care at Mater Dei to be temporarily moved to St Vincent de Paul.

Mater Dei Hospital chief medical officer Natasha Azzopardi Muscat explained how during the winter season, demand for health services increased with a sudden influx in admissions.

The most common admissions would be the elderly with chest infections and chronic diseases.

Since this caused a strain on hospital beds, the hospital reached an agreement with MUMN for the temporary transfer of 20 elderly patients who were occupying beds at Mater Dei to St Vincent de Paul.

These elderly will remain at St Vincent de Paul until February when Zammit Clapp is expected to open as a nursing home for the elderly. Zammit Clapp will have about 96 beds.

Director for the department for the elderly and community care Stephanie Xuereb said that over the past three years the number of beds available for the elderly increased by 630.

MUMN president Paul Pace said that even though it is known that there is a nursing staff shortage and lack of beds at Mater Dei, at a time of need nurses pulled together to share the burden.

Hospital CEO Joseph Caruana thanked the MUMN for their cooperation and the staff for working so hard and going beyond their duties.

In September about 580 patients per week were admitted to the Emergency Department. This increased to over 800 in December.

Dr Azzopardi Muscat urged people who could receive care in the community to do so rather than expose themselves to germs at a hospital.

Mr Pace appealed to people to wash their hands even after blowing their nose.