Senior citizens at three state-run care homes will soon be able to receive medical care at St Vincent de Paul, avoiding long waits at Mater Dei’s emergency room.

The pilot project, announced by Prime Minister Robert Abela on Tuesday, will begin next month with residents at state-run care homes in Floriana, Mosta and Mtarfa.

If successful, the plan is to gradually expand the service to allow all senior citizens, including those living within the community, to avail of the service.

A number of beds at St Vincent de Paul – which is itself a state-run care home for the elderly – will be allocated to the service, allowing senior citizens who need intermediate medical care to receive it there, recover and then return to their care home.

The plan is part of the government’s push to ease pressures on Mater Dei Hospital, which is straining to cope with the demands of a growing population.

Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela, who previously served as Active Ageing Minister, has said he wants to expand Mater Dei’s emergency room, move non-medical services away from the hospital and shift outpatient services to the Gwardamangia area housing St Luke’s and Karin Grech hospitals.

Speaking on Tuesday as he announced the pilot project, the prime minister said the government “is committed to ensuring high levels of care for the elderly and ensuring they live dignified lives.”

Tuesday morning's cabinet meeting at St Vincent de Paul.

He listed various measures taken to help improve quality of life for senior citizens, from increases in pensions to infrastructural projects such as the rebuilding of a care home in Cospicua.

Abela was speaking at a cabinet meeting held at St Vincent de Paul. Before the meeting, he met with various senior citizens who live at the home, discussed their experiences and visited facilities at the care home, including a recently opened dementia garden.

Abela meets one of the home's residents. Photo: DOI

The garden has been designed to stimulate the senses and spark residents' memories, with an area of it featuring photos of Maltese life and traditions in years gone by. 

St Vincent de Paul is currently undergoing a staged five-year renovation, with 19 halls renovated so far. Renovations range from larger rooms, to better sealed windows to new medical equipment for wards. 

Abela was accompanied on the visit by Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela, Parliamentary Secretary for Active Ageing Malcolm Paul Agius Galea and St Vincent de Paul CEO Jorgen Souness.