MAM to decide stand over VGH medical care standards on Monday

The Medical Association of Malta (MAM) will be holding a council meeting next Monday, to discuss its stand over the Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) medical care standards of Karen Grech Hospital, St.Luke’s Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital.

Concerned about maintaining the standards of medical care, MAM President Dr Gordon Caruana Dingli told this newspaper that “unfortunately, the Government has allowed Vitas Global Healthcare to employ doctors without respecting the collective agreement between the Government and MAM”.

Last February, The Malta Independent reported that the MAM was concerned at how a number of hospital employees had been told that they will be transferred to Vitals Global Healthcare, with major changes in working conditions, without their consent, following a controversial deal between the government and VGH for the private takeover of the three hospitals.

When asked about MAM’s agenda, Dr Caruana Dingli replied: “MAM insists that all specialists who are appointed to work in the Malta National Health Service are appointed according to the established procedures, [meaning] recruitment and selection processes and rights of appeal that have been established by the Public Service for several years. This is to maintain standards of medical care”.

Dr Caruana Dingli stated that the MAM has last with Health Minister Chris Fearne on the subject two weeks ago.

The Medical Association of Malta is non-committal on the controversial VGH-government deal. The association will not commit its members before the full investigation by the auditor general, which was requested by the Parliamentary Accounts Committee, is completed, and the full version of the relative contracts published.