Government 'ignoring' country's health needs

Labour health spokesman Michael Farrugia yesterday accused the government of ignoring the country's health needs.

He said that although the health minister had boasted many times that the government was close to solving the problems surrounding the health centres, the situation had remained the same.

In a report presented to the government, the World Health Organisation had insisted that there should be more investment in the primary sector, he said.

But the government was continuing to destroy the service, "either intentionally or because it is incompetent".

Patients needing blood tests at health centres were having to wait for up to five or six weeks for a blood sample to be taken.

Four years ago, he said, these patients only had to wait three days and doctors would get the results within a week.

This situation was causing patients to go private to ensure their blood tests were done in a short time.