Primary healthcare patients visiting health centres impacted by doctors' industrial action are being redirected to private hospitals, the government said on Friday.
The Medical Association of Malta (MA) is currently engaged in a dispute with the government over the latter outsourcing emergency patients to private hospitals in a bid to ease pressure on Mater Dei, citing a lack of consultation.
After it ordered doctors not to approve transfers of emergency patients to private hospitals, the union stepped up directives to include doctors working in primary healthcare.
As a result, doctors at the Gżira, Qormi, Kirkop, Cospicua, Rabat, and Birkirkara health centres will not be working on Tuesdays and Fridays. Other health centres are not impacted at this time.
In a statement on Friday the Health Ministry said that while it respects the union's right to industrial action, it is obliged to ensure that people's access to healthcare services is safeguarded.
"The Government is determined to shoulder the burden of these actions. Therefore, to ensure that essential health services in the community continue to be provided as widely as possible, and to protect services at Mater Dei Hospital, the Government is engaging private healthcare institutions, with which it has agreements, to provide certain services until the industrial dispute is resolved," they said.
"The Government remains committed to finding all necessary solutions, with respect for workers but, above all, for public health patients at all times."
Those who urgently require the services of a family doctor and live in the areas covered by the Gżira Health Centre can call 99889223 to access limited family doctor services at Capua Hospital in Sliema.
Those who typically see a family doctor from the areas covered by the Bormla and Kirkop health centres are requested to call 99889223 for a limited service by St James Hospital.
Thos in the vicinity of the Birkirkara health centre are asked to call 79491500 for a limited family doctor service by Da Vinci Hospital.
And those urgently needing a family doctor in the Qormi area are asked to call 77482480 for a limited service at St Thomas Hospital.
These services will be available between 8am and 8pm.
The public is advised that services provided by nurses at Health Centres, along with POC Clinics (INR for warfarin), will continue as usual.
All doctors following directives - MAM
In a statement on Friday, the MAM said that all doctors are obeying the directives in place at health centres.
The union said it is surprised that this has resulted in another "irregular" public-private partnership with the "excuse" of directives, as the number of health centres currently open is the same as is usually open during public holidays and should therefor suffice to cover urgent care.