Joe Cassar: February 9, 2010 – March 10, 2013;

Godfrey Farrugia: March 13, 2013 – March 29, 2014;

Konrad Mizzi: April 1, 2014 – April 28, 2016;

Chris Fearne: April 28, 2016 – January 6, 2024.

As the honeymoon period for settling in is over, it seems that the public image of health leadership in Malta has a history of being rather sickly. Since 2010, none of the health ministers have been able to afford to retire without either resigning, transferring or being replaced.

The chair of health in Malta seems to be plagued by the unfortunate fate of being ousted following some form of political debacle. This is our fifth minister since 2010, a staggering average of a new minister every three years. Such frequent changes in leadership are not conducive to a stable healthcare system.

Patients complain when they are unable to be followed up by their doctor. They have problems with trust and gaining from long-term relationships and will be unable to find someone who knows them enough to get to the root cause of their problem, leaving them frustrated.

If difficult discussions and decisions that will affect a person’s integrity need to be made, it will only be with a minister who remains in for the long haul.

Thankfully, the previous deputy prime minister retained his position long enough to endure one of Malta’s most challenging phases of Maltese healthcare. The ministry of health has seen the rise of COVID-19; the missed opportunity to deliver services via a private partnership, which backfired; the building of the new Vincent Moran Health Centre in Paola; a significant increase in migrant and elderly care services; a dearth of health professionals; and declining fertility rates.

One symptom is the lack of ministerial public inquiries and reports that take feedback from the patient and society- Ian Baldacchino

The spate of persistent resignations should serve as a wake-up call for our leadership. It’s not just the minister per se but also the leadership and infrastructure responsible for health that needs changing. The resignations of so many ministers are not just a political issue but also an infrastructural one, with a direct impact on healthcare services and public perception.

It is not surprising that younger generations do not look up to their predecessors and hope to take their place some day. Who would want to hold a position associated with poor outcomes and issues of alleged corruption? The ministerial post in which a politician is elected will inevitably ease them into the habits of the previous establishment since the roots, characters, framework of opportunities and facility to carry out vicious acts remain.

One symptom is the lack of ministerial public inquiries and reports that take feedback from the patient and society. No reports or feedback on how major decisions are taken are ever made public. Such a culture has yet to be mature in Malta’s politicians.

Quoting Clair Foy’s Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen: “Do you know, I’ve been Queen barely 10 years. And in that time I’ve had three prime ministers. All of them ambitious men, clever men, brilliant men. Not one has lasted the course. They’ve either been too old, too ill or too weak. A confederacy of elected quitters.”

This is not to criticise one individual but a system that rears its leaders to quit.

Ian Baldacchino is a family doctor.