'Careful what you believe' - ADPD urges caution on hospital election promises
Sandra Gauci calls for 'in-depth thinking and planning' involving healthcare professionals at all levels
ADPD has urged caution over electoral promises of hospitals in various localities, warning some proposals “make little sense” and appear to be driven solely by a desire to win votes.
Party chairperson Sandra Gauci, who is contesting the election on districts 6 and 12, warned hospitals that are not properly planned could increase costs and inefficiency.
“Be careful what you believe. We need to proceed with caution,” Gauci said.
She added a long-term plan for human resources in the health and care sectors must be undertaken first.
“With the same team of professionals already struggling to cope with outpatient services and hospital wards at Mater Dei Hospital, new hospitals that are not properly planned – both in terms of the type of care they offer and staffing – risk doing nothing but increasing costs, waste and inefficiency in the system.”
ADPD called for “in-depth thinking and planning” that involves healthcare professionals at every level of the system.
“It would be wiser to strengthen services already provided by clinics and polyclinics, enhance preventive care in the community, and better integrate the services offered by family doctors into the public healthcare system”.
Brian Decelis, who is contesting the election on Districts 3 and 4, criticised the proliferation of private care homes “that resemble hospitals”, warning “many elderly people are becoming institutionalised unnecessarily”.
“In many European countries, elderly care services are based on shared living and supported living concepts. In Malta, it is the opposite. With today’s technology, shared and supported living services have become easier to implement,” he said.