A new partnership with three private hospitals will see the outsourcing of emergency services in a bid to ease wait times at Mater Dei hospital, the Health Ministry has said. 

In July, the ministry issued an urgent call to the private sector to outsource emergency care amid pressure on the service at Mater Dei.

Media reports at the time highlighted overcrowding at the hospital’s emergency department, where waiting times were reported to reach up to 12 hours.

Minister Jo Etienne Abela stated that through the partnership, patients with medical and surgical diagnoses will be treated at private hospitals, with the government covering the costs. 

He emphasised that this initiative will complement the services provided by Mater Dei Hospital and explained that patients with non-complicated conditions will receive the necessary services, including surgeries, in the private sector.

This will allow Mater Dei to focus on serious cases, including those associated with seasonal illnesses, during the winter months.

Abela explained that this is the first phase of the agreement, with the transfer process being managed by the Emergency Department at Mater Dei. He noted that a second phase will follow, introducing a new referral system for various emergency services in the country.

Abela said that on the first day of this collaboration, two successful surgical procedures were already performed at one of these private hospitals. 

“This new system of collaboration between the government and the private sector is expected to enhance the efficiency of emergency services while offering excellent care,” Abela said. 

The move to outsource emergency care is unusual but has happened before.

In 2012, the government reached a short-lived agreement with St James Capua Hospital for the provision of emergency services at its units in Żabbar and Sliema during weekends.