The time has come for health minister Joseph Cassar to shoulder political responsibility in the case of the selection processes for a number of medical consultants, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.

Speaking on One Radio, Dr Muscat said it was shocking how the minister’s only response to the issue was to say he would sue the Labour Party when the information was coming out not from the party but from people who had been involved in the situation.

The case revolves around a decision last year to nominate four medical consultants for vacant posts, despite the fact they did not satisfy eligibility requirements.

Dr Muscat said that the situation in the health sector reflected the government’s irresponsibility, mediocrity and irresponsibility. For matters were out of contol even in basic issues such as ambulances.

The nurses’ union had been warning about the situation for a long time and the situation reached a climax in the Gudja incident last Wednesday showing that the minister had failed even in this sector, the Labour leader said.

The MUMN is insisting that ambulances have to be replaced as they are falling apart. It has also issued directives.

In the Gudja incident, although a rented ambulance arrived on time, it was involved in an accident and the replacement took 90 minutes to arrive.

Dr Muscat said that the government’s stock response to the situation was that the opposition was making things up.

The situation, Dr Muscat said, uncovered the government’s incompetence and political responsibility has to start to be shouldered.