Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1019057
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 AUGUST 2018 KARL AZZOPARDI TREATMENT clinics at enter- tainment spots must not send the message that binge drink- ing is fine because help is not far away, a senior hospital con- sultant has warned. Michael Spiteri, clinical chairperson at Mater Dei Hospital's Emergency De- partment, said there was "no magic button" solution to relieve the pressure on emer- gency services caused by in- toxicated people. "We do set up clinics when there are events where we ex- pect a lot of alcohol consump- tion but it would be a mistake to believe that opening clinics here and there will solve eve- rything," Spiteri said. A firm believer in preven- tion, he called for a holistic approach to encourage peo- ple not to get intoxicated. The issue came to the fore early this month when a nurse expressed frustration on so- cial media over the number of people admitted to emergen- cy because of drunkenness in just one night. Subsequently, Health Min- ister Chris Fearne floated the idea of setting up a clinic in Paceville to treat people who have had one drink too many, relieving the pressure on the hospital. "Setting up a clinic is not necessarily a bad idea, far from it, but it has to be well- planned strategically and it must not give the impression that one can binge drink at will because help is not far away," Spiteri said. With more than 20 years' experience at hospital's emer- gency department, Spiteri stressed the importance of alcohol and drug prevention. "No matter how many clin- ics and personnel we have, once someone is admitted to a health centre with sub- stance or alcohol intoxica- tion, we already have a prob- lem," he said. And with Malta's party sea- son reaching its peak, Spiteri noted that the drinking prob- lem was not confined to one location, or even one season. "During the summer, there is an obvious peak because there are more parties, peo- ple socialise more and there are a greater number of tour- ists around but there are also spikes during the win- ter, such as the Christmas period," Spiteri said. The number of people ad- mitted because of alcohol and drug intoxication has risen over the years, but this is al- so linked to the fact that the population has risen signifi- cantly. Spiteri said Mater Dei was one of the most well-equipped hospitals in Europe and the emergency department pro- vided top quality service to all its patients. But do all the people admit- ted into emergency because of alcohol intoxication need medical help, or is it simply a question of sleeping out the drunkenness? "We have to take in con- sideration the fact that some symptoms might look griev- ous to the untrained eye, but in a state of panic, some peo- ple over-assume… No matter how petty the patient's symp- toms seem to be, they will always be given utmost care and attention irrespective of how many nurses or doctors we have," Spiteri said. He reiterated his call for a collective effort to focus on prevention through increased education on the problems caused by binge drinking. "I must and will keep on in- sisting on the importance of prevention. It is vital to keep on educating people from a very young age. The mental- ity of binge drinking on the weekends, with the mind-set that it is not dangerous, must stop," he said. Spiteri believes that pro- viding adequate recreational areas for young people and trying to shift Malta's label as a binge drinking paradise, could be the real lifesavers. NEWS OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MINISTRY FOR HEALTH RE-ISSUE OF CALLS As part of the Project "ESF 02.053 – Developing Allied Health Capacity to Sustain Health Care Needs", the Ministry for Health has acquired European funds to sponsor candidates to undergo training in the UK to become: Orthoptists (Bachelor's Degree) Optometrists (Bachelor's Degree) Sponsorship covers tuition abroad, paid books and equipment, travel, subsistence whilst abroad, employment and salary whilst following the course and employment following successful completion. More information on these courses can be accessed from the Government website http://deputyprimeminister.gov.mt/en/ahcs/Pages/ESF-projects.aspx or contact: +356 2545 6831 or +356 2545 6886 Interested candidates are to submit their application by not later than 12.00 noon (Central European Time) on Friday, 7 th September 2018 through the Online Government Recruitment Portal on https://recruitment.gov.mt/ OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MINISTRY FOR HEALTH RE-ISSUE OF CALLS As part of the Project "ESF 02.053 – Developing Allied Health Capacity to Sustain Health Care Needs", the Ministry for Health has acquired European funds to sponsor candidates to undergo training in the UK to become: Orthoptists (Bachelor's Degree) Optometrists (Bachelor's Degree) Sponsorship covers tuition abroad, paid books and equipment, travel, subsistence whilst abroad, employment and salary whilst following the course and employment following successful completion. More information on these courses can be accessed from the Government website http://deputyprimeminister.gov.mt/en/ahcs/Pages/ESF-projects.aspx or contact: +356 2545 6831 or +356 2545 6886 Interested candidates are to submit their application by not later than 12.00 noon (Central European Time) on Friday, 7 th September 2018 through the Online Government Recruitment Portal on https://recruitment.gov.mt/ RE-ISSUE OF CALLS As part of the Project "ESF 02.053 – Developing Allied Health Capacity to Sustain Health Care Needs", the Ministry for Health has acquired European funds to sponsor candidates to undergo training in the UK to become: Orthoptists (Bachelor's Degree) Optometrists (Bachelor's Degree) Sponsorship covers tuition abroad, paid books and equipment, travel, subsistence whilst abroad, employment and salary whilst following the course and employment following successful completion. More information on these courses can be accessed from the Government website http://deputyprimeminister.gov.mt/en/ahcs/Pages/ESF-projects.aspx or contact: +356 2545 6831 or +356 2545 6886 Interested candidates are to submit their application by not later than 12.00 noon (Central European Time) on Friday, 7th September 2018 through the Online Government Recruitment Portal on https://recruitment.gov.mt/ Medical clinics in entertainment hotspots could send wrong message Michael Spiteri, clinical chairperson at Mater Dei Hospital's Emergency Department, said there was "no magic button" solution to relieve the pressure on emergency services caused by intoxicated people