The new Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela’s recent interview with Times of Malta contains not just food for thought but is also nourishing to people’s health, literally, and that of their country.
The consultant surgeon specialised in upper gastrointestinal and pancreatic operations demonstrated himself to be a person ready to call a spade a spade, discuss and, where necessary, change tack.
“There’s nothing wrong with changing ideas when faced with new evidence or advice,” he said.
It is good to hear politicians acknowledging past mistakes and changing direction.
In the interview, the health minister was asked about some very controversial topics, like abortion, assisted dying, cannabis use and mental health. He did not hesitate declaring his personal views but was careful not to be seen to be imposing himself. Politicians cannot ignore the needs and demands of a fast-changing society and in many questions he fielded, the minister acknowledged this.
That is a trait absent in many politicians who forge ahead with their plans and beliefs unless the voice of the people becomes overwhelming.
He also acknowledged there could be ethical and moral implications in certain issues. The minister is, of course, right, but still, very often, even on the most sensitive of issues, party whips refuse to grant MPs a free vote in parliament. Abela raises a very delicate point of dealing with procurement and the time it takes to go through the set procedure even in urgent cases linked to healthcare.
It is a problem that needs to be addressed and solved soonest. Why should the process to clear a shooting range or a furniture plant go through the fast channel, but health projects are forced to wait?
It was also good to see the sincere manner in which he tackled the hospitals concession scandal.
“The government’s aim to deliver the medical services it promised was not achieved and I have no problem apologising for that,” the health minister declared.
In normal democracies, it is bizarre to applaud politicians who acknowledge failure and apologise to the taxpayers. Sadly, in Malta such acknowledgements are very few and far between and, often, politicians are not allowed to walk the talk. Those who put their foot down are either hushed down or ousted.
Oliver Scicluna, co-opted to parliament in January 2021 but then failing to be elected in the 2022 election, had publicly asked constituents not to promise him their votes in exchange for favours.
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, who, incidentally, had also been co-opted to parliament, had called for change in the country’s economic model to deprioritise construction. The prime minister soon came forward to reassure the building and construction industry about its future.
Just days ago, Nationalist MP Eve Borg Bonello urged budding politicians not to “do politics for the sake of doing politics”. The country and its people should be politicians’ priority, she said, warning: “People aren’t stupid, they will see right through you.”
This is the right time for the people to have a good look at present and budding politicians and see whether they have the qualities they and their country need.
At the forthcoming local and European elections, they can then vote for candidates who make politics their business to better the country, not to gain power and fatten their pockets.