Razzett pleads for state help

Razzett tal-Hbiberija, the centre in Marsascala which provides therapy for people with special needs, is walking a financial tightrope. It is "pleading" with the government to start paying for a fraction of the services it provides to society for free.

"Would the government bat an eyelid if we were to close down because we can no longer afford to finance this place? Do we have to resort to tactics such as threatening to close down - as some charities have done and succeeded - in order to get funding?" Razzett chief executive Nathan Farrugia asked.

All Razzett was asking for was that the government pays 25 per cent of a patient's bill, said Mr Farrugia, who is also board director of this philanthropic organisation.

"We are telling the government, don't give us a grant as charity. We want to be paid for the service we provide. If the government had to actually provide the service itself it would fork out much more," he pointed out in an interview.

"If the government had to provide the cost of running the services we provide for free, without the capital investment, it would cost around Lm250,000 a year."

However, their consistent pleas have fallen on deaf ears for the past three years and the only contribution the government makes is Lm5,000 a year to cover a small part of the costs incurred when the adult training centres use their services.

"We have tried everything short of blackmail. The most recent excuse is that they don't have the money - we're just asking for about Lm50,000 a year, not millions. The demand is constantly increasing and the government's contribution would be a subsidy-per-use service," Mr Farrugia said.

At the moment there are 475 children and 500 adults with special needs who require some form of therapy and use the wide-ranging services of Razzett on a regular basis. It also provides 15 voluntary organisations with free services for its clients.

The number of people who use their services, ranging from those who have disabilities to those who have been involved in a car accident or who require hydrotherapy, continues to increase every year. Five years ago a mere 200 people used its services; today this number has increased five-fold.

"If a person becomes severely disabled following an accident on the place of work and their condition is no longer clinically improving they are discharged from hospital. However, they have nowhere to go for maintenance care and we are providing that service.

"We have reached a ridiculous situation where doctors are sending patients to us for therapy instead of to hospital," he said.

"Which company would exist with a barely break-even scenario, whose statute implicitly says that we cannot get loans? We have to reinvest the money into our programmes," he said highlighting the charity's financial dire straits.

This year was the first time that Razzett actually managed to raise the necessary Lm300,000 to run the place and pay salaries, through clever "quasi-commercial" activities by opening up its conference centre and high-quality gym.

Yet, if Razzett managed to raise the necessary amount this year, did it still require a 25 per cent subvention from the government?

"At the moment we're walking a tightrope and if something breaks or stops working what will we do? Breaking even has been nothing short of miraculous, but if we have no contingency plan and if something happens we would have to stop the service," he answered.

"Plus, there is so much more we can be doing. It will never be the case that the government gives us a subsidy while we just sit back and raise less money. We will want to raise as much as we can so that we can focus on providing new services."

Mr Farrugia said that Razzett expected the government to pay part of its bill rather that rely solely on its services to help those in need.

"If those who require therapy sit at home, their condition will deteriorate and the burden and dependence on the island's social system will be more costly," he pointed out.

At the moment Razzett sends a virtual bill to the Education Department of the costs incurred by the schools that use its services, just to give them an idea of the money spent.

Adults and children are provided with a plethora of free therapeutic services, such as horseback riding, swimming, crafts, physiotherapy in a specially equipped gym that also has wheelchair treadmills, and use of the multi-sensory rooms.

"The whole process is of therapeutic value and not just fun and games. Horseback riding, for example, helps a child achieve what a physiotherapist cannot, that is balance and posture," he said.

There are also pottery classes which help children with disabilities improve their dexterity and their self-esteem through creation.

"There are children who have never picked up a pen in class, and yet when they come here they are painting away successfully."

Razzett is also equipped with one of the most advanced multi-sensory centres in Europe, which has been created in such a way to target different disabilities.

"We are a charity that is completely self-reliant. People with disabilities deserve this investment and we are pleading with the government to help us on their behalf."