The government is not taking the shortage of nurses seriously, their has union complained.

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said nurses were an international work force and other countries were making huge efforts to poach them but the government could not seem to understand this.

A case in point was the UK, which offers better conditions.

There were indications that more than 40 foreign nurses would leave the island in the first two months of this year, the union said.

“Government is ignoring the fact that resignations from the nursing work force far outweigh recruitment which periodically takes place.”

This, the union said in a statement, was a betrayal of the nursing and midwifery profession, along with the better financial benefits being offered to other health professionals.

The MUMN was responding to a report issued by the National Audit Office raising questions over the high cost of overtime payments to nurses at St Vincent de Paul residence for the elderly in 2019.

In response to the report, the home’s management said the number of nurses allocated was “limited and inadequate”.

The union yesterday said the country had a shortage of 500 nurses and this issue was not being seriously addressed by the government.

Nurses were being forced to work overtime to replace colleagues out on vacation leave.

This was not just happening at the St Vincent de Paul residence but in all other health institutions: unless a replacement was found, the management did not approve leave, the union said.

“Cancellation of vacation and study leave is the norm,” it added.

Resignations were partly fuelled by burnout or stress, it said.

Among healthcare workers, nurses were carrying the highest burden in the pandemic, with a record number infected or in quarantine.