Doctors' union queries exclusion logic

The Medical Association of Malta has expressed satisfaction at parliament's approval of the Health Care Professions Act.

It said the medical profession in Malta could now enjoy the benefits of regulations establishing EU standards.

The new law established a new authority which recognised specialist training certificates and regulated post-graduate training so as to conform to the highest EU standards.

The establishment of the specialist register would benefit both doctors and patients.

However, MAM said, a clause in the first schedule of the bill was barring MAM officials from sitting on the specialist accreditation committee. General secretary Martin Balzan said this did not make sense and the union believed it was a mistake since MAM, together with the Health Division, was represented on the committee statutorily.

Mr Balzan said it would be very unfortunate if MAM officials, who sat on European boards of both specialist and of family doctors, would not be allowed to sit on the Maltese specialty board.