Over 4,000 Nurses & Midwives go on flash strike; procedures cancelled as a result

Mar 24 2023

Around 4,000 local nurses & midwives have gone on strike following directives issued by the Malta Union for Midwives and Nurses (MUMN).

The MUMN stated that “it is clear that the Ministry for Health (MFH) not only lacks respect towards nurses and midwives, but is determined to humiliate and demotivate the whole nursing and midwifery work force through this sectorial agreement.”

The union stated that dirty tactics were being employed on the MUMN, with examples including government officials leaking high estimates of the union’s proposals to a leading newspaper to bring public opinion against the workforce.

Set to start today, 24th March, from 7am onwards, the directives were issued to nurses working in the E/A Department, various wards in Mater Dei hospital, the Primary Care Department ‘including bereg’, Karen Grech Hospital, the Gozo General Hospital, Elderly Homes, Mt. Carmel Hospital and more.

Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre Hospital is excluded from Industrial Directives pertaining to the New Sectoral Agreement.

The statement went on to say: “The Health Ministry has been always eager to issue a mandate in court when the nurses and midwives rightly feel they are being discriminated but then the Health Ministry NEVER took Steward Health Care to court even when it was evident that Steward was not abiding to any commitment. A Health Ministry which is a “bully” with those who are providing a sterling service with their patients but then a coward with whom was not providing any investment. Great Shame.”

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Most Maltese felt calm, peaceful and happy in 2021, new survey suggests

Mar 24 2023

A recently-published survey by the National Statistics Office suggests that in 2021, the majority of people living in private households felt they had good health and also reportedly felt calm and peaceful most of the time.

Seventy-three per cent of respondents perceived their general health as being good whilst 31 per cent reported suffering from chronic illness or a condition.

“On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents ‘not satisfied at all’, and 10 represents ‘completely satisfied’, respondents reported an average score of 8.6 with regard to their satisfaction with their personal relationships with family and friends”, the report stated. A mean job satisfaction score of 7.6 was reached and a mean life satisfaction score of 7.1 was also reported.

The lowest mean score was regarded people’s financial situation, standing at 6.8.

The survey also revealed that 42 per cent of respondents felt calm and peaceful whilst 49 per cent felt happy. Nervousness and agitation were sometimes experienced by 33 per cent of respondents.

On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents ‘not satisfied at all’, and 10 represents ‘completely satisfied’, respondents reported an average score of 8.6 with regard to their satisfaction with their personal relationships with family and friends. A mean score of 7.6 was reported with regard to their satisfaction with their current job, and a mean score of 7.1 was reported with regard to their satisfaction with their overall life.

The lowest mean score was reported with regard to respondents’ satisfaction with their financial situation, at 6.8.

Feelings of downheartedness and depression and feelings of loneliness were experienced none of the time by 52 per cent and 60 per cent of the respondents, respectively.

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Aggressor seen beating man & woman, takes off with car in Xemxija fight video

Mar 24 2023

A video sent to Malta Daily shows a man pummelling another man to the ground in Xemxija before standing up, hitting a woman and driving off with his car.

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The argument took place on Thursday at 9AM in Triq il-Maqdes Megalitiku Xemxija. The aggressor was reportedly in police custody and had to be taken to court earlier today.

In the clip, the aggressor is seen repeatedly hitting the victim on the floor before a woman intervened. The aggressor kicked the man, delivered a swift blow to a woman which knocked her down and drove off with his car.

The nature of why the argument broke out is so far unknown and it is unclear what kind of injuries were sustained by the victims.

69-year-old man dies after incident with farming equipment in Mġarr

Mar 24 2023

A 69-year-old man has died after an incident with farming equipment in Fomm ir-Riħ, limits of Imġarr on Thursday.

The Police were informed of the situation on Thursday at 3:15PM, with investigations revealing that the man was injured with a small rotary cultivator whilst working in the field.

Officials from within the Civil Protection Department were called on site, together with a medical team, with an ambulance taking the man to Mater Dei for treatment. Unfortunately he was certified dead moments after.

Police investigations are currently under way.

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