Consultation opened on parental leave while babies in intensive care

Lorinda Mamo's life was turned upside down when her newborn son was being treated at the Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (NPICU).

Her son Henry was born with prune belly syndrome as well as kidney disease. “We lost our company because we could not balance that with what Henry needed,” she added. 

“It was an extremely difficult time. I wish I didn’t need to leave the hospital,” she said. Whilst all of this was going on, she said she was never in the right mindset to return to work.

Mamo was speaking during a conference Thursday, which kicked off discussions on introducing what the government is calling NPICU support leave.

Still in its early stages, there are no details yet about how the leave might be implemented.

Discussions on introducing the leave were sparked by Labour MP Romilda Zarb in June, when she shared her own experience of having to take her child to the NPICU and called on the government to introduce special leave for parents whose newborn children are admitted to intensive care.

Mother Stephanie Bason, also speaking Thursday, shared how she lived in the NPICU for three months while her newborn child was being treated.

“It was a rollercoaster. One day he’s doing well, then the next morning you come in and find out that he is not doing well,” she said.

Even after three months, once her son was finally discharged, she was terrified to be left alone at home without the help of nurses. “Once I went home, I had no maternity leave left, so I resorted to using my personal leave,” she said.

'This new leave will not burden employers'

Thursday's conference was opened by Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul, who said the government had begun consulting on how to introduce what is being called “NPICU support leave.”

Ellul noted that every year, there are more than 500 cases where babies are treated at the NPICU.“Many couples stop working, or sometimes even leave their jobs entirely, to take care of their child,” Ellul said.

Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul speaking at the conference. Photo: OPM

The junior minister added that this leave will also benefit the baby’s health, pointing to studies showing that babies recover better when parents remain close to them during treatment.

“While we need to take into account what both employers and employees have to say, we definitely cannot deny people this right,” he said, adding that the new leave will not burden employers.

By introducing this leave, Ellul said Malta would be the first country in the EU to do so, acting as a “pioneer for workers’ rights.

Ellul also said he is open to expanding both maternity leave and paternity leave.

'Survival mode'

Zarb, also speaking at the conference, shared the experiences her family went through while her son Nate was in the NPICU.

She used to spend time with her two other children and then return to the hospital to spend the night with Nate, she said.

“Why is there a need for this special leave? We who lived it know that once you enter the NPICU, you enter survival mode,” the MP said.

“It is not fair that parents have to choose between staying with their child and going back to work,” she said.

Currently, employees are eligible for 32 hours a year of Urgent Family Leave. Besides this, mothers are entitled to four months of maternity leave, and parents are entitled to ten days of paternity leave.

The government has also recently released new proposals to introduce miscarriage leave for partners during the first 22 weeks of pregnancy.