Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1245222
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 MAY 2020 12 COMMERCIAL MITA operations during the Covid-19 pandemic Public sector officials have been work- ing remotely due to COVID-19 restric- tions. How has MITA adapted to this sit- uation? We had been monitoring the pandemic to prepare ourselves and our employees for the eventual restrictions that might affect our operations. We began train- ing and simulating our employees from all departments to ensure they have the necessary tools and skill to work remote- ly. We also ensured these tools would be available for all our employees. These not only include the necessary programmes needed for online meetings, but also easy access to email accounts, government documents and official da- tabases. We invested in a number of new laptops, so working remotely would be made simpler for all our employees and a significant number of secure collabora- tive tools. We also established our own internal Situation Team to monitor the current situation and take the necessary action when needed. Naturally, the health and safety of our workforce was a top priority. We protected our employees by keeping them informed at all times and impos- ing health and safety measures before we shifted our operations online. How were the government's IT opera- tions affected by the pandemic? Governmental databases are operating normally, however, we did emphasise which strategic areas must be prioritised in order for our clients to still receive the best possible service. These include hos- pitals and healthcare centres around Mal- ta and Gozo. Through a close collaboration with the Ministry for Health we also established online systems for swabbing centres and wards in Mater Dei and other crucial health centres. This online system en- sured that these temporary sites had in- stant and efficient connectivity with the government's online system, the Magnet (Malta Government Network). As expected, our call centre was receiv- ing more requests for new services, espe- cially until all our employees settled into their new routine. Our workforce worked tirelessly, even during this time, to ensure our clients still received the best service possible. We were also asked to provide an online system for GPs to communicate with pa- tients, which we eventually named Tele- Medicine. MITA runs crucial governmental systems for our Islands. How did you ensure these were still up and running safely and effectively? We are constantly monitoring all online Government systems IT infrastructure, not only in such situations. However, to ensure top security in these extraordinary times, we had decided to upscale secu- rity monitoring and vetting in areas we thought to be crucial. Such is how we en- sured that all our systems are still operat- ing safely and are protected from possible cyber-attacks. How did MITA work with other govern- mental sectors during this time? I'm proud to say that there has been a considerable collective effort between MITA employees and different Govern- mental departments. We worked closely with the Health, Finance, and Social Se- curity ministries, and had the complete support of the Parliamentary Secretariat for Digital Economy and Parliamentary Secretary Clayton Bartolo. I would like to thank all our employ- ees for their professionalism during this trying time. We had never been in this situation, however, through close col- laboration with all stakeholders, we have managed to still deliver crucial govern- mental services effectively. MITA Executive Chairman Tony Sultana explains how MITA adapted to the new reality amid the coronavirus outbreak to ensure complete continuity of service