Medical clinics set up at three hotels

Clinics have been set up at hotels hosting CHOGM delegates in order to cater for any medical needs.

The clinics are fully equipped to cater for basic and advanced life support as well as for primary health care medical problems.

The Golden Sands Resort and the Westin Dragonara Hotel both have a fixed clinic and another clinic at the InterContinental Hotel can also fulfil both fixed and mobile functions, Tonio Bonello, the spokesman for St Luke's, Boffa and Mater Dei hospitals, told The Times.

A further two mobile teams are catering for the VIPs and their spouses.

Mr Bonello said another team is available at the Hal-Ferh complex to provide first aid to Maltese staff in the Ghajn Tuffieha area and as back-up to the main medical services.

Medical coverage for activities related to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Gozo are being coordinated by the Gozo General Hospital in conjunction with the Gozo Red Cross.

CHOGM medical coordinator Denis Vella Baldacchino said the clinics have been "well occupied", catering for both VIPs and the support staff.

Mr Bonello explained that every clinic has a medical doctor, a nurse, an ambulance aid or first-aider and an ambulance driver.

"Every doctor is trained and experienced in immediate medical care," he said.

The staff complement is a "standard round-the-clock operation". Mr Bonello said the hospital authorities were eager not to strain or put additional pressure on the Hospital Emergency Department.

An ambulance is also available around the clock but because of security reasons he could not specify whether there is an ambulance for every clinic or one to serve all the clinics.

Dr Vella Baldacchino said the work was done by the Health Department thanks to the support of a number of NGOs, the Primary Health Care Department and the hospital's Emergency Response Team.