MAM-Health Ministry talks still ‘works in progress’
Talks between the Medical Association of Malta (MAM) and the Health Ministry on issues related to the Vitals/Steward deal are still “works in progress”, according to the secretary general of the doctor’s union.
Martin Balzan spoke to The Malta Independent yesterday afternoon, after the fifth meeting held between the MAM and the government, who have been at loggerheads ever since Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) announced that it would be selling its 30-year concession to American company Steward Healthcare after just 21 months of operations.
MAM also insists that the government has breached the collective agreement, which was signed last May, because it was not informed or consulted six weeks prior to the transfer of the concession - a clause which Balzan says MAM had fought hard for after the Karin Grech, St Luke’s and the Gozo hospitals were “sold behind [their] back.”
“In today’s meeting we explored and clarified certain concepts that we hope will be included in the agreement text, on which we will continue working next week,” Balzan said yesterday.
Health Minister Chris Fearne said further progress had been made and that both sides continued to iron out pending issues in yesterday’s meeting. More meetings will be held next week.
The union had called a strike on Tuesday 6 February, later describing it as a success.
Since then a number of meetings have been held, with both MAM and Health Minister Chris Fearne insisting that progress was being made.
Speaking to this newspaper on Wednesday, after the fourth meeting was held, Balzan said that more progress had been registered and that both sides were working on the text of the agreement.