Mount Carmel is overcrowded, PN says as it slams 'failed' mental health policy
The hospital is full up and the mental health sector is in crisis, the opposition MPs said
Mount Carmel hospital is full up and admission wards are overcrowded with more beds than they can handle, the PN claimed in a news conference on Friday.
MPs Ian Vassallo and Stephen Spiteri said patients are being given inadequate care and many others are still on long waiting lists as the staff grapples with a lack of resources.
Last year the government started a three-part plan to phase out and close down Mount Carmel as a mental health hospital within the next four years.
But the PN shadow ministers said the government failed to invest properly in the sector despite many promises.
"The hospital is full up," Vassalllo said. "Admission wards have more beds than they can take, and this is leading to sub-standard care for patients and added stress on staff. There are people as we speak who need medical attention and are not getting it immediately because there aren’t enough resources to accommodate them."
Vassallo accused the government of empty promises, citing the repeated announcements of a new hospital or refurbishment of Mount Carmel, followed by inaction.
"The government promised a new hospital but threw out the plans. Then it planned to build a new ward, but that didn't happen either."
He further emphasised the need for access to better medication, acknowledging it is more costly, but insisting that for the PN that does not matter as long as it is an investment in patients' wellbeing.
He said the country's mental health declined over the past years and the rising incidence of mental health issues is resulting in a strain on the system.
'Mental health needs emergency service also'
Spiteri echoed Vassallo's concerns, focusing on the inadequate state of Mount Carmel.
"Mount Carmel is not deserving of being a hospital for our patients and staff. We have seen no real change. Just some patching, some refurbishment and some decoration. The rest remained the same, and it's badly affecting patients, including those who are on the long waiting lists," he said.
Spiteri also highlighted what he said was a lack of crucial emergency services.
"This sector sometimes needs emergency services as well. It's shameful that we don't have acute psychiatric unit services."