The Nationalist Party has blamed the overall lack of nurses in the health sector on the Government's lack of motivation to make the career path more enticing to the populace.
According to reports, there is a need for around 550 nurses in the health sector. This deficit has led to the needless suffering of patients around the island, the PN said. Approximately 12 operations a week are being cancelled due to this shortage, going up to around 60 operations cancelled a month.
The nurses are also feeling the brunt of this shortage as they are being forced to fill in these shifts, which is causing a burnout, further lowering the quality of their work, by no fault of their own.
"The government does not have a long term plan in this sector, it seems like the health sector is being ignored. In this sector, with regards to nursing, we have seen this issue coming up in the last months, if not years," spokesperson for Health Stephen Spiteri said.
Nationalist candidate and doctor Herman Farrugia said that there is not attraction towards the nursing school by young students. He also added that students do not make contact with patients, questioning how this could create that element of self-giving and fulfilment to further encourage this career path.
"The lack is not only felt in Mater Dei, but as you can imagine, can also be felt in the primary services and new health centres," Farrugia continued.
Last week the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses announced a series of directives for health sector workers.
Reacting, the Labour Party said the PN was being negative without coming up with proposals. The PN accuses the government of having no plan, when it is in fact solving problems created by previous nationalist administration. It said the PN had put a limit on the number of nursing students but this administration had opened a new school with Steward Healthcare and MCAST. It said the PN was being populist.
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