Just as a doctor from the aid agency Medecins Sans Frontières was talking about the mental health problems caused by detention, a Ghanaian was grievously injured in an argument in the Safi closed centre yesterday.

The two incidents were unrelated but they characterised a day dominated by the issue of illegal immigration, which also saw EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot arriving in Malta for a two-day fact-finding mission.

The day started with MSF explaining why it had suspended its medical services at the detention centres. It described the conditions there as appalling and inhuman. The agency attacked the government's detention policy, which it blamed for most of the ills suffered by the immigrants.

The charge was denied by Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici who said the government was doing all it could to improve the conditions but it was overwhelmed by the record number of arrivals last year.

Expressing his disappointment at MSF's withdrawal, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said mandatory detention for at least 18 months was necessary given the country's limited resources and space.

MSF Malta coordinator Giuseppe de Mola said doctors were unable to perform their job in an ethically correct way in the detention facilities. He said the lack of a pharmacy in detention centres meant that medicines prescribed to immigrants were not delivered on time or at all, making it impossible to offer adequate and effective treatment.

Mr de Mola said the lack of a proper isolation area meant that immigrants with infectious diseases were being kept with healthy individuals.

He also criticised the slow process to identify the more vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and minors, insisting that there were cases of minors being kept in detention for two months before being released.

He stressed that MSF had informed the government as far back as October of the critical situation and requested that measures be taken for the issues to be addressed accordingly.

According to Gabriella Ferlazzo Natoli, a doctor for the organisation, the poor conditions at detention centres were contributing to the deteriorating health conditions of immigrants, including their mental health.

She said most of the immigrants that landed here were in good health upon arrival but they deteriorated during detention because of the poor sanitary conditions, overcrowding, lack of proper after-care and unsuitable living conditions that exposed them to the cold.

"When we see patients we have the hope that they will get their medicine but we cannot be sure. It depends on the detention service officers whether the medicines are bought or not. It is quite frustrating for us doctors. People come to us because they are sick but we are not sure if we can help them more than just listening to them and examining them," Dr Ferlazzo Natoli said.

Acknowledging that Malta needed EU help to cope with the problem, Mr de Mola insisted, however, that the island had to do its part by adhering to international and EU basic reception standards for immigrants.

Mr de Mola accused the government of reneging on its commitment to offer decent basic reception standards and questioned the wisdom of having a mandatory detention policy.

MSF purposely announced its decision to withdraw from the detention facilities at a time when illegal immigration was going to be discussed in Parliament and at government level with the presence of the EU Justice Commissioner.

Mr de Mola criticised politicians for fomenting fear and said he was surprised how Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat, who asked for a debate on illegal immigration, had never visited a detention centre.

"We have to contribute a different perspective to the debate. We have the duty to communicate what the situation in the detention facilities is so that people would be aware of what they are talking about when referring to the problem," Mr de Mola said.

The government stood its ground saying that the most recent arrivals this winter caused overcrowding problems and the refurbishment works were delayed as a consequence.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici denied the accusation that the conditions in the detention facilities were contributing to the worsening of the state of health of illegal immigrants.

"I am not a doctor but it does not result to us that those who arrive here healthy are suffering from deteriorating health conditions. For those who arrive here already unwell, contrary to what happens in other countries, we offer the same medical service available to every Maltese citizen," Dr Mifsud Bonnici said.