The state cannot continue hiring nurses from the private sector to avoid a shortage of assistants in state hospitals, union chief Paul Pace warned on Friday. According to the Times of Malta, Pace said the nursing profession risks a “crisis” if the shortage is not addressed in some other way.
The healthcare system has mainly taken nurses from private healthcare companies and the current employment model is shifting towards that employed in Middle Eastern countries: Maltese nurses were assigned managerial positions while the majority of the workforce was made up of third country nationals.
“I believe every country should be self-sufficient,” Pace said. “This doesn’t mean we should only hire Maltese nurses, but we should make sure we have enough graduates to meet the health care standards we want to provide “.
Why do nurses and nurses leave the profession? The trade unionist would like to answer this question and also called for measures in favor of the family to help a “workforce that is largely made up of women who are still raising children”.
“Nobody wants to work in a sector where there is a shortage of staff: it is demotivating and sends workers into burn-out. If we don’t address the problem, the system could collapse, ”says Times of Malta. Health Minister Chris Fearne said third-country nationals are no less dedicated or skilled for the profession, but it makes a difference when the staff has been trained by the local system.
