MUMN and MAM have concerns over VGH sale; still waiting to meet new owners
● Work and employment guaranteed for 98% of MUMN workers at VGH
The Medical Association of Malta (MAM) and Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) have reservations over the deal struck between Vitals Global Healthcare and Steward Healthcare System given that they are yet to meet with the new owners to discuss their vision and plans for the service.
“Until today nothing has changed and it is still the normal everyday business but we do not yet know if these new owners are going to change some parts of management or how they will be managing the hospitals,” MUMN General Secretary Colin Galea explained while MAM General Secretary Gordon Caruana Dingli said he was waiting to discuss the matter further at council meeting.
While the Ministry for Health has informed MUMN that there will be no changes to the employment and work conditions of public service employees, which account for 98% of the union’s members within the three hospitals, it is yet to meeting with MAM and MUMN since announcing the transfer of business.
“About the other 2% who work directly with VGH as their employer, although we are not envisaging any problems, we still need to meet the new owners to be certain about their employment and terms of contract,” Galea said.
Last Thursday, the government proposed a parliamentary debate within the house following the Opposition’s call for to take place discussion ward over the agreement between the healthcare providers.
Towards the end of last month, VGH, the company which was entrusted with the provision of healthcare services through the Gozo, Karin Grech and St Luke’s hospitals, sold its concession to the American company called Steward Healthcare. VGH sold the 30 year concession only 21 months after securing a deal with the Maltese government. The price of the sale of the concession is still unknown.
Galea and Caruana Dingli both revealed that MUMN and MAM were given no indication whatsoever that VGH was planning on selling off its concession.
Asked whether they believed that Stewards Healthcare would be an improvement upon VGH, Galea insisted that it was still very early to say, and was waiting to meet the owners to discuss their plans for the hospitals.
“It is still very early to say. We need to meet with these new owners and see what is on their mind before pronouncing if it is an improvement or not.”
Caruana Dingli said, “we know little about both but Stewards seems to be a large US healthcare company.”
Galea was also reluctant to say whether VGH had failed it duties by selling their 30 year lease, while Caruana Dingli said this will be discussed further during the council meeting.
“MUMN does not know the details or the reasons behind this selling so it cannot pronounce itself on this matter,” Galea explained.
May of last year, MAM have reached two separate agreements to regulate all services sub-contracted to third parties by government, including Vitals Global Healthcare.