Malta has made its position on access to medicines and equipment clear to its European counterparts, Health Minister Chris Fearne has said, insisting EU solidarity could not be something that remains on paper.
Fearne was commenting on the issue in the wake of a videoconference meeting with other EU health ministers held earlier on Tuesday.
Smaller member states like Malta have warned in recent months that they risk being sidelined by larger countries when it comes to access to medicines and Personal Protective Equipment.
Those concerns were amplified after countries like France and Germany introduced export restrictions on PPE in March, as COVID-19 spread across Europe.
Asked by Times of Malta about access to equipment and medicine by small states like Malta, Fearne said the country had made itself clear to other, bigger member states.
“We want to see solidarity among us, not just on paper. This is not only the case with the issue on migrants but also on access to medicine, equipment and even when it comes to the [COVID-19] vaccine.
“We are making our position known as we do not want some country to issue a ban on medicine to other countries,” Fearne said.
Nurses recruitment drive launched
Meanwhile, Fearne announced the government was embarking on its annual nurses recruitment drive, launched on Tuesday to coincide with Nurses’ Day.
“As a paediatrician, I always enjoy speaking to children. That is not only because of my profession but because they tell me things as they are.
“For many years, whenever I asked children what they wanted to be when they grew up, I was always told “police officer, pilot, footballer”…in recent weeks, the majority are telling me they want to become nurses,” Fearne said.
This, he said, was proof the country’s nurses had been proving themselves amid the coronavirus outbreak. When the spotlight was directed at them, he said, Malta’s nurses shone.
Thanking all health care professionals, especially nurses, for their hard work as the island battled the coronavirus, the minister urged young people to opt for a career in nursing.
“In the coming weeks, we will have some 200 new nurses. This is important because if the pandemic taught us anything, it was that those countries who did best were those who had the strongest and most prepared healthcare systems,” Fearne said.
Malta has more than doubled its number of nurses since 2011, EU figures released on Tuesday show.
On his part, nurses’ union head Paul Pace said that the pandemic brought about unprecedented challenges to nurses and had highlighted the importance of having enough people on the ground.
While commending the government for stepping up its efforts and making sure the number of beds and hospital space increased, such moves meant more nurses were needed now more than ever before.
The union head also thanked the public for heeding the authorities’ advice and urged everyone to remain vigilant and follow social distancing rules.