Iż-żieda fl-Operazzjonijiet fl-isptar Mater Dei

Iż-żieda fin-numru ta operazzjonijiet li qed isiru fl-iSptar Mater Dei flimkien ma diversi ftehim li għamilna mas-settur privat u numru ta inizjattivi oħra qed jirriżultaw f'inqas żmien ta stennija għall-operazzjonijiet.

Speech by the Hon Joe Cassar, Minister for Health, the Elderly and Community Care at the Malta Cancer Foundation Symposium

Speech by the Hon Joe Cassar, Minister for Health, the Elderly and Community Care at the Malta Cancer Foundation Symposium .

Good morning,

Thank you for inviting me to address this symposium.

Cancer has been at the top of my agenda, since the very start of my tenure as Minister for Health. I need not explain why,  you are the experts in this field and surely know too well why.

Over the last few years Government has invested, significantly, in initiatives which seek to address the challenges that the rising cancer burden presents to Malta as it does to rest of the Western world. We appreciate the challenges and we are determined to address them as best as this country can.

Ongoing investment in screening programmes and targeted health promotion programmes, in wider access to free drugs,  and in the expansion of curative and palliative services characterize Government’s continued commitment to address cancer.  A National Cancer Strategy which was launched in 2011, directs and steers the development and activity that is continually unfolding in this specific field of practice.

The new EU funded oncology centre, which is due to open next year will be the hallmark of this government, in the field of oncology. We  cannot wait to take our patients there. The current oncology hospital, Boffa Hospital in Floriana,  holds many virtues with its sterling workforce being undoubtedly the central one, but, its dated nature calls for  modern new premises, which the new oncology centre at Mater Dei Hospital promises!

 In turn, the investment in resources associated within this centre are the cornerstones which will ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of this centre and oncology services in Malta. Government is committed and indeed in engaged in the establishment of the finest of equipment and the finest of human resources. Much funds have been channelled towards the purchase of relevant equipment and the development of optimally trained human resources.

We appreciate the support that the EU is providing, and we are grateful for the contribution that our partners, the University of Cardiff, and the Royal Marsden are rallying towards the further training of our workforce.

Before I end my address today, I would like to note our appreciation and gratitude towards the remarkable contribution that the Malta Cancer Foundation has incessantly delivered to oncology services in Malta. The Malta Cancer Foundation has been instrumental in the development of services in Malta. Allow me to take the opportunity to commend their generous contribution, and to invite the foundation for further collaboration in the coming years.

It is indeed a pleasure to be here; this is an opportunity to support a cause which is central and so important to my current role.

I augur a fruitful symposium.

 Thank you

Speech at the annual Training and Resource Development Weekend organised by the Malta Medical Students Association

Opening address by Hon Joe Cassar, Minister for Health, the Elderly and Community Care at the annual Training and Resource Development Weekend organised by the Malta Medical Students Association for its members.

Dear Students,

Thank you for inviting me to contribute to this annual weekend once again being organised by the MMSA.

I am indeed very glad to be here with you and especially because the focus of this weekend is on doctors and their development and on MMSA and its contribution to society.

Medicine, doctors and MMSA are of specific and special interest and relevance to me.  Allow me to note that I am a doctor, a psychiatrist, and I take much pride in being so,  and with similar much pride I  sought to contribute to MMSA for quite a few years when I was president of the MMSA in my own student days.

Therefore I couldn’t be more pleased to be invited by MMSA once again. I thank you for this opportunity.

Today I am here to talk to you as Minister of Health, Elderly and Community Care, and this brings me to the essence of the message I would like to share with you today.

You are on your way to be doctors. While you train, I ask you to focus on developing an understanding of the fact that once a doctor each of you will be expected to be behave, to perform, like a doctor, always and everywhere.  Thus you will be bound by the Hippocratic oath all the time, at work as doctors, but also as individuals in a society.

Wherever and whatever role you will play in your lives, even when you are not dealing directly with patients, with clients, with the users of health services, you will be doctors. 

Currently, I am fulfilling the role of Minister, within the Government, however, since I chose to remain part of the esteemed profession of medicine, and although my role obliges me to step away from the direct delivery of care to patients,  I as Minister am still fully bound to remain committed to the oath I once took when I joined the profession.

I sincerely invite you to ensure that you channel your training, and the development of your resources, towards the reality that becoming a doctor is not taking up a job.

Becoming a doctor means joining a profession characterised by specific obligations and responsibilities - encompassed in the Hippocratic oath - and such obligations and responsibilities are to be shouldered by all, always and everywhere.

You may be asking yourselves why I chose to emphasise such a message that highlights the obligations and responsibilities of doctors always and everywhere. I will briefly explain where I am coming from, in the hope that my message will be even clearer.

In my role as Minister I am privileged to meet, and work alongside many exemplary performances and contributions of doctors.

Our various hard working conscientious doctors in our community,  who are often the first port of call of members of our society, our busy committed doctors in our hospitals, our innovative inquisitive doctors engaged in research initiatives here and all over the world, our achieving doctors in the world of academia…..are all a pleasure to witness. I will take the opportunity to harp about their exemplary performance as doctors and to thank them for the inspiration they offer to all of us.

However, I have to admit that, as Minister I also do encounter various unfavourable experiences.  Each one, is simply one to many! I will not dwell on the nature of such experiences as i simply want to point out that in essence such unfavourable experiences simply stem from failings of doctors to truly understand, embrace and shoulder their responsibilities and obligations all the time, even when they are at home, when tired, when stressed, when happy and socialising, when partying.

I am not seeking to patronise you adults here.  I am sharing my experience as doctor, as an past MMSA activist, now a Minister, but still a doctor.

My message is thus clear -  I invite you to focus on developing into individuals who are fit for a profession, whose obligations and responsibilities you will “wear” consistently and constantly and not merely fit for a job as a doctor, which you will clock in and out of,  for a number of hours, 5 or 6 times a week.

Finally, I also promise you that as Minister, I will continue to support you, your training and your development into doctors in any way I can . Supporting the development of professionals within my Ministry tops my agenda.  Rest assured it will remain so.

I augur you all a fruitful experience.

Thank you.

Grazzi liż-żgħażagħ

Dalgħodu kelli l-pjaċir li għal-ftit mumenti inkun ma grupp ta żgħażagħ mil-Junior College li organizzaw blood drive.  Bl-aġir tagħhom dawn iż-żgħażagħ probabilment salvaw il-ħajja ta xi ħadd li ma jafux.  Prosit.

Diskors waqt l-għoti tal-premjijiet ta' prattika tajba 2012

Diskors mill-Ministru għas-Saħħa, l-Anzjani u Kura fil-Komunita Joe Cassar waqt l-għoti tal-Premjijiet ta’ Prattika Tajba 2012 mill-Awtorita Maltija għas-Saħħa u s-Sigurta fuq il-Post tax-Xogħol

Onorevoli Kollegi,

Kap Eżekuttiv,

Mistiednin distinti,

L-Aġenzija Ewropea għas-Saħħa u s-Sigurta fuq il-Post tax-Xogħol għandha l-missjoni mportanti li tgħin biex il-postijiet tax-xogħol fl-Ewropa, inkluż f’Malta, jkunu aktar siguri u ħielsa minn perikli mhux kontrollati. Ir-rwol ta’ din l-Agenzija huwa li tirriċerka, tiżviluppa u tqassam informazzjoni dwar is-saħħa u s-sigurta fuq il-postijiet tax-xogħol, u torganizza diversi kampanji edukattivi biex titqajjem kuxjenza akbar favur is-saħħa u s-sigurta tal-ħaddiema. 

Din l-Aġenzija li twaqqfet fl-1996, tlaqqa` flimkien rappreżentanti  mill-Kummisjoni Ewropea, tal-Gvernijiet fl-Istati membri, organizzazzjonijiet ta` dawk li jħaddmu u tal-ħaddiema. Fuq livell nazzjonali l-Aġenzija hija rappreżentata  minn dak li jissejjaħ network tal-Focal Points, li hawn Malta hija l-Awtorita għas-Saħħa u s-Sigurta fuq il-Post tax-Xogħol.

Huwa bi ftaħir li nfakkar li fi żjara f’Malta iktar kmieni din is-sena, id-Direttur tal-Aġenzija Ewropea faħħret il-ħidma tal-OHSA-Malta, li hi stess iddeskriviet bħala membru attiv ħafna tal-Aġenzija Ewropea, u li tieħu numru ta’ inizjattivi innovativi.

Din is-sena it-tema li intagħżlet mill-Aġenzija Ewropea hija NAĦDMU FLIMKIEN BIEX NEVITAW IR-RISKJI.  Għalkemm il-management huwa primarjament responsabbli għas-saħħa u s-sigurta fuq il-post tax-xogħol,  huwa fatt li meta dan jinvolvi ruħu m`mod attiv mal-ħaddiema u mar-rapprezentati taghom, jinkisbu riżultati iktar effettivi.  

 Għal din ir-raguni, kull kumpanija trid tosserva żewg elementi ewlenin, dik li l-management jikkonsulta mal-ħaddiema  dwar il-qasam tas-sahha u s-sigurta` waqt li fl-istess ħin il-ħaddiema u r-rappreżentanti tagħhom għandhom jipparteċipaw billi jaqsmu l-ideat u billi jaħdmu u jikkopperaw b`mod attiv mal-management.

Huwa nkoraġġanti l-fatt li din is-sena kien hemm parteċipazzjoni kemm minn kumpaniji u organizzazjonijiet li jimpjegaw aktar minn 100 ħaddiem kif ukoll minn oħrajn li jimpjegaw anqas minn 100 ħaddiem.  Kien hemm anke firxa wisgħa ta` attivitajiet kummerċjali, minn kumpaniji tal-elettronika, għal dawk tal-farmaċija, avjazzjoni, kif ukoll parteċipazzjoni minn Dipartiment tal-Gvern. 

Jien f`isem il-Gvern nixtieq nifraħ lil dawn il-kumpaniji u kumpaniji oħra għall-investiment li qegħdin jagħmlu biex  jimplimentaw miżuri nnovattivi ta` sigurta fuq il-postijiet tax-xogħol, li wara kollox, huwa nvestiment fir-riżorsi umani tagħhom. Din hija attitudni li għandha tkun ikkupjata minn oħrajn.  Għalhekk huwa xieraq li inizjattivi bħal dawn jiġu rikonoxxuti permezz ta’ din iċ-ċerimonja, kif ukoll permezz ta’ dan il-premju prestiġġjuż.  Jiena konvint li l-livell tal-eżempji ta` prattika tajba li kienu sottomessi din is-sena minn dawn il-kumpaniji Maltin, ser jikkompetu bis-sħiħ ma’ dawk l-eżempji li ser ikunu sottomessi minn kumpaniji oħra fil-kumplament ta` l-Ewropa.  Għalhekk nawgura lil-dawn il kumpaniji kull suċċess għall-futur.

Ma nixtieqx nagħlaq dan l-intevent qasir tiegħi,  mingħajr ma nifraħ u nirringrazzja lill-management u l-ħaddiema kollha fi ħdan l-Awtorita Maltija għas-Saħħa u s-Sigurta fuq il-Post tax-Xogħol għall-ħidma taghhom u l-impenn sħiħ biex jippromwovu s-saħħa u s-sigurta fost il-ħaddiema tagħna.

Grazzi u prosit.

Joe Cassar

Ministru għas-Saħħa, l-Anzjani u Kura fil-Komunita

Muscat ma jghid xejn

JINTLAĦAQ FTEHIM IEĦOR SABIEX JORĦSU AKTAR MEDIĊINI

Il-Ministeru għall-Kompetizzjoni Ġusta, Negozji Żgħar u l-Konsumaur, iħabbar li se jorħsu erbatax-il mediċina oħra.B’hekk in-numru ta’ medicini li raħsu issa telgħu għal 267 mediċina.

It-tnaqqis ta’ dawn il-medicini jlaħħaq roħs sa 69%. Minn dawn il-mediċini il-Medovir li jintuża għall-kura ta’ infezzjonijiet virali raħas b’ €22.24, iz-Zithromax li huwa antibijotiku tat-tfal raħas b’€7.56 u l-Moxiclav li huwa antibijotiku raħas b’€ 3.59. Ir-roħs sar bl-intervent tal-Uffiċċju għall-Affarijiet tal-Konsumatur.

Il-Ministru Jason Azzopardi qal li dan huwa pass ieħor ‘il quddiem sabiex aktar familji jkunu jistgħu jixtru dawn il-mediċini bi prezzijiet irħas. Dan kollu, saħaq il-Ministru Azzopardi jixhed ix-xogħol siewi li qed jaghmel il-Gvern sabiex ikompli bid-diskussjonijiet tiegħu mal-importaturi sabiex jorħsu aktar medicini. Filfatt, il-Ministru Azzopardi qal li bħalissa għaddejjin taħditiet oħra sabiex ix-xahar li ġej ikomplu jorħsu numru ta’ medicini oħra. Dawn it- tahditiet, sostna l-Ministru  qed isiru sabiex jintlaħaq l-aħjar ftehim fl-interess tal-familji Maltin u Għawdxin kollha.

Għal aktar informazzjoni dwar il-prezzijiet tal-mediċini, wieħed jista’ jċempel fuq in-numru 23952000, mit-Tnejn sal-Ġimgħa bejn it-8:00am u t-3:00pm jew inkella billi jibgħat email fuq l-indirizz: medicines@gov.mt