Mater Dei Hospital is tomorrow extending its visiting hours for the first time in more than a decade to make it easier for relatives and friends to visit patients.

The general visiting hours are being doubled – most of the hospital’s wards will welcome visitors between 11.30am and 1pm, and between 3pm and 8pm. Other wards may have different hours, depending on patients’ needs.

“This initiative will translate in direct patient care benefits since we believe family participation in patients’ care and cure activities, such as feeding and mobility, has a pivotal role in recovery,” hospital CEO Ivan Falzon said.

Many visitors tend to have busy schedules which become even more hectic when a relative is admitted to hospital, Mr Falzon said, and by extending the hours the hospital would be making it easier for them to spend time with patients.

Mr Falzon said the hospital had to keep in mind that while patients were being treated, relatives could also be going through a difficult period.

“When dealing with sick patients we’re also dealing with a number of family members undergoing a traumatic experience, in some cases worse than their loved ones. We really believe this will make a difference.”

To promote the change, the hospital has for the past few weeks embarked on a campaign to promote hospital etiquette and to raise awareness on the importance of having all hospital users abide by policies.

In line with these changes, the hospital has also rolled out a new website, www.careandcure.gov.mt, to provide assistance as well as to serve as a platform for the hospital to issue information.

“We will educate but we will not tolerate abuse of hospital policies. This is not a free-for-all, do-as-you-please environment,” Mr Falzon told hospital staff in a circular issued earlier this month.

Mr Falzon said that to ensure the change was a smooth one, hospital staff had been briefed and had participated fully in the run-up to the change.