Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1526203
5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 4 SEPTEMBER 2024 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Compliance with the guidelines is mandatory and failure to ob- serve them may result in discipli- nary action being taken. The circular was released by the Permanent Secretary in the Health Ministry and instructs healthcare staff to get patients to state their details rather than sim- ply confirming them. "When confirming identity, en- gage the patient by asking them to state, not just confirm, their information (e.g., 'Can you please tell me your date of birth?' instead of 'Is your date of birth [x]?'). This practice reduces the risk of errors due to miscommunication or as- sumptions," the circular reads. In the case of children, the elder- ly or non-verbal patients, identi- fication must be confirmed with a responsible guardian or next of kin. The development comes in the wake of a sprawling scandal that has rocked the foundations of Malta's official identity manage- ment system. The scandal kicked off with alle- gations of corruption at Identità in the issuance of residency permits and ID cards for non-EU nation- als. Subsequently, cases of identity theft were flagged by unsuspecting Maltese nationals who found out that their personal details, includ- ing ID card number, were used by unknown individuals to gain access to the public health service. In one glaring case, a Maltese patient who required care was in- formed that according to hospital records they had died in March. In other instances, people re- ceived hospital appointments for treatments they never undertook, implying that patient records at Mater Dei Hospital were incor- rect. The circular issued on Tuesday states that "accurate patient iden- tification is critical for ensuring that the patients receive the cor- rect treatment, medical care while minimising errors and safeguard- ing patient data". The instructions apply "to every point of contact" including regis- tration, consultation, test diagnos- tics and treatment. Staff have also been instructed to document and immediately flag any problems that may arise dur- ing the identification process. "If the system flags potential du- plicates, incomplete data, or con- flicting information, immediately pause the process and verify the patients' details through addition- al measures, such as asking the patient for another form of iden- tification, consulting the Patient Master Index, or confirming with family members or caregivers, where appropriate," the circular states. Staff are obliged to ask for official documents that are current when attending health institutions. The documents listed are ID cards, residence permits, diplomat and special ID documents, driving licence and passport. Former MP Jason Azzopardi who first lifted the lid on Iden- titàgate and who has obtained a magisterial inquiry into the case, commented on Facebook that the circular was proof of abuse. "This is proof that there are some who stole our identity to use Ma- ter Dei and the health services… It is true that foreigners, aided by the corrupt at Identity Malta have used us," Azzopardi wrote, call- ing on Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela to resign and accusing the Prime Minister of lying. On Sunday, Robert Abela slammed what he described as "baseless" attacks on ministers Byron Camilleri – responsible for Identità and LESA, the local en- forcement agency at the centre of another scandal – and Jo Etienne Abela. Healthcare workers to double check patient identity at every point of contact Former MP Jason Azzopardi who first lifted the lid on Identitàgate and who has obtained a magisterial inquiry into the case, commented on Facebook that the circular (right) was proof of abuse The circular issued on Tuesday states that "accurate patient identification is critical for ensuring that the patients receive the correct treatment, medical care while minimising errors and safeguarding patient data"