Your prompt response to this appeal can potentially save lives!

In the wake of the current wave of illnesses, local hospitals are finding themselves facing a dire situation – a severe decline in blood donations has left the health system grappling with a significant shortage, particularly in Group O Positive blood, and alarmingly low stocks in general.

This crisis not only jeopardizes ongoing medical treatments but also poses a serious threat to surgeries scheduled at Mater Dei Hospital.

The situation demands immediate action, and we urgently appeal to healthy individuals to step forward and donate blood.

Your contribution can make a life-saving difference in these challenging times. The need is urgent, and time is of the essence.

Photo Source: Kirill Dratsevich / Charlie-Helen Robinson

#MaltaDaily 

One week after Prime Minister Robert Abela reshuffled his cabinet, Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech announced significant changes to his parliamentary team.

One of the most notable changes is the assignment of the health portfolio to Adrian Delia, the party’s former leader. Delia, recognised for his instrumental role in the party’s successful legal campaign to annul contracts privatizing state hospitals, will now lead the party’s health initiatives.

Darren Carabott, who previously managed local government and public administration briefs, has been elevated to a more prominent role as the PN’s home affairs spokesperson. This expanded responsibility aligns with Carabott’s chairmanship of the parliament’s influential Public Accounts Committee, showcasing the party’s emphasis on robust governance.

Several PN MPs will now be taking on entirely new portfolios. Graham Bencini, formerly responsible for sports and public broadcasting, now leads the finance portfolio, replacing Jerome Caruana Cilia, who has transitioned to shadowing the economy brief.

Ivan J Bartolo, the party’s former economy spokesperson, has shifted focus to employment issues and the creation of new economic sectors. Meanwhile, his counterpart, Ivan Bartolo, will retain his social housing portfolio and take on additional responsibilities for pensions.

Ryan Callus, previously the infrastructure spokesperson, now serves as the PN spokesperson for energy and research. Mark Anthony Sammut has moved to the transport portfolio, succeeding Adrian Delia.

The reshuffle also brings forward fresh faces into key roles. Rebekah Borg, formerly responsible for shadowing lands and consumer rights portfolios, is now the PN spokesperson for the environment. Eve Borg Bonello, retaining her climate change brief, will now also shadow the public cleansing portfolio.

PN figures such as David Agius, Karol Aquilina, Robert Cutajar, Mario de Marco, Alex Borg, Graziella Galea, Ian Vassallo, Toni Bezzina, and Julie Zahra maintain their roles, with Cutajar continuing his role of Parliamentary Group Whip.

#MaltaDaily