Opposing is easy. Coming up with well-thought health policies requires political maturity. And this is what’s missing from the opposition.

To make it worse, the opposition’s strategy of negative politics in Brussels is not helping in any way, not only Malta but also itself as a political party, which is dry of ideas and vision for this country.

People demand clear answers from their political leaders. Following the court’s decision on the Vital’s concession, the government should be taking the high road by looking into detail at what happened and how this is to be remedied in the future.

No government is perfect, but people want to see a government that is aware of the problems, and change and improve where necessary.

This should have been avoided in the first place. However, now that there’s the court’s ruling, the government should be ready to change where necessary.

Changing and improving is a sign of strength. Change requires courage to face people’s demand of better rule of law and better delivery of services in the most efficient manner.

Without going into much detail of the case, political maturity demands responsibility from all sides, including the opposition. Political responsibility also requires understanding where the country should be headed, and how to achieve that vision for the country.

In this case, one of the government’s major objectives, of injecting private investments in the health sector in Malta and Gozo, was to enhance the quality of health provision up to a point that it makes Malta an attractive destination for health tourism, which ultimately would translate into better healthcare provision for all residents in Malta and Gozo, more health specialisation, higher paid jobs, more rental income for property owners, and so on and so forth.

The government’s vision was and is still noble. The main question is how to achieve that vision in a holistic, sustainable and professional manner, while ensuring that all the country would benefit from better healthcare in the most efficient and effective manner, not only in the short-term but also in the long-term.

This is why all the rush by the opposition simply to play cheap politics, to score political points without showing any signs of political maturity, shows how weak it is.

The rule of law is important. Making sure that good governance throughout the process is given the highest priority makes lots of sense to ensure fairness for everyone.

But this cannot happen with the opposition’s shouting, blaming and political scoring while providing no real vision for the country and particularly the health sector.

It’s up to the opposition if it wants to play the negative role. Negativity in life never contributes to any growth and improvement, and the government must avoid playing the opposition’s game by ensuring self-reflection and analysis of the situation, while celebrating the achievements in the health sector so far.

The fact that health provision in Malta and Gozo provides universal coverage for a comprehensive benefit package should not be underestimated. As Maltese and Gozitans, we take it for granted, but other countries in financial difficulties are questioning the role of the government in health provision for their populations.

The health challenges of every Western country, including Malta, have been increasing and will continue to increase in the coming decades due to an ageing and expanding population.

It is a wake-up call for everyone in government- Alex Agius Saliba

During these last few years, Malta recorded one of the largest increases in per capital health expenditure in the EU over the last decade, equal to more than nine per cent of our GDP. This requires mature political debates to come up with effective healthcare policies and solutions on outpatient services, primary care, pharmaceuticals and other significant subjects, which are sustainable for the next decades to come.

This financial pressure due to higher health expenditures makes the issue of health tourism much more relevant than ever. Adopting a policy of generating healthcare income from health tourists makes lots of sense – financially, socially and economically.

The government’s vision of placing Malta on the international health sector map is right. Achieving this sustainably requires strong international and local partnerships that can take us to that next level of healthcare provision in oncology, aged care and rehabilitation, while attracting tourists to choose Malta instead of other countries.

As a country, we must make sure that our life expectancy remains above the EU average, and that it keeps going up in the years to come. We should also focus on reducing the mortality rates for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancers.

Moreover, our policies should continue to prioritise the reduction of waiting lists and disparities between income groups in terms of self-reported good health.

In addition, our health policies should continue to focus on reducing obesity by tackling food consumption and the promotion of healthy lifestyles, from children up to adulthood.

The political debate should also highlight issues like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption among teenagers, the employment opportunities for doctors and nurses, and other important health policies that have direct impact on every one of us.

There is no end for political debates on several subjects, not least about health. And that is why the country does not afford to have an opposition that continuously plays on negativity.

The government is adamant on improving its healthcare system to reduce preventable causes of mortality, to improve access to primary healthcare and reduce pressure on our hospitals, to control tobacco and alcohol consumption, to improve cancer survival rates, to improve the mortality rate following strokes, and to combat the threat of antimicrobial resistance, to name just a few.

The opposition decided to be negative and to limit itself to blaming the government. That strategy doesn’t work.

However, we must be aware that this was not the best hour for the government. It is a wake-up call for everyone in government to be humble and accept the court’s ruling and all the public criticism.

People in this country expect effective management of their taxes and better governance, and we should continue striving to provide that.

Alex Agius Saliba is a Labour MEP.