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THE third phase of the Oncol- ogy Outreach Service will be rolled out later this year, with the first mobile unit finally be- ing introduced in Gozo. This important milestone has been made possible through funds raised during the educational Nationwide Pink October Mo- vember Campaign 2025, organ- ised by The Marigold Founda- tion. A cancer diagnosis brings with it significant financial, physi- cal, and emotional challenges. Many patients are required to attend hospital frequently for treatment, sometimes several times a week even when they are fatigued or debilitated. The Oncology Outreach Project, initiated two years ago by The Marigold Foundation in collab- oration with Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre (SAMOC), aims to ease this burden by bringing essential services clos- er to patients. This comprehensive pro- gramme offers a wide range of services designed to make the patient journey easier, more comfortable, and more cost-ef- fective. It significantly improves quality of life, reduces the strain of cancer treatment, and in- creases patients' access to care and overall satisfaction. The third mobile unit will extend this service to Gozo, directly benefiting Gozitan cancer pa- tients by providing care within their own communities. Michelle Muscat, Chair of The Marigold Foundation and leader of the Pink October Movember Campaign 2025, announced the launch of this third phase dur- ing a press conference held to- day. She explained that the new unit will provide Gozitan cancer patients with in-home treat- ment services, including holistic assessments of patients' needs and challenges. These services will include oncology supportive therapies and procedures such as blood sampling and mainte- nance of port-a-caths, as well as physical, emotional, nutritional, and psychological support for patients and their families. The project also aims to reach more areas and communities, benefitting a larger number of patients. Where possible, ser- vices may even be provided at patients' places of work, helping them maintain a sense of nor- mality while continuing treat- ment. The Marigold Foundation is proud to support this initiative by providing the third vehicle and coordinating the delivery of services in close collaboration with the Oncology Department. Dr Danica Marmara, Cancer Pathways Director, highlighted how the Oncology Outreach Service offers holistic support to both patients and their families, while also reducing the financial burden on the national health system. By delivering cost-ef- fective home-based care, the service helps free up bed spaces and appointment slots at both SAMOC and the Gozo General Hospital. Providing treatment in the comfort of familiar sur- roundings also minimises dis- ruption to patients' and families' daily routines and significantly reduces time spent travelling to and from hospital. Marmara emphasised the vital role of the Pink October Mo- vember Campaign in raising awareness, educating the public, and making impactful projects such as this one possible. This initiative follows closely on the many projects delivered over the past eleven years through the campaign's ongoing com- mitment to cancer support. Spearheaded and coordinated by The Marigold Foundation, the Annual Nationwide Pink October Movember Campaign team will continue collaborating with other local cancer NGOs on additional projects aimed at supporting cancer patients across Malta and Gozo. 5 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 6 FEBRUARY 2026 NEWS Union warns Gozo hospital transfers are putting critically ill patients at risk THE Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) has ac- cused the Health Ministry of endangering patients at Gozo General Hospital, claiming that critically ill people are being transferred to Mater Dei Hos- pital without adequate medical accompaniment. In a strongly worded state- ment, the union said the min- istry's "continued failure to act" has created a dangerous system in which patients certified as critical are routinely transferred with only a nurse escort, rather than being accompanied by a doctor. MUMN said that in a recent case nurses identified a patient as being in a serious condition and recommended medical ac- companiment, initially suggest- ing an anaesthetist. However, the transfer was eventually certified for nurse-only accompaniment, de- spite what the union described as clear risks. The union said its concerns were later validated when the patient had to be immediately intubated on arrival at Mater Dei due to an obstructed airway. MUMN also referred to anoth- er case involving a critically ill relative of the health minister, in which doctors at Gozo Gen- eral Hospital allegedly refused to accompany the patient. Ac- cording to the union, a doctor only agreed to travel after "in- tense managerial and political pressure", resulting in a 12-hour delay in the transfer. The union claimed that doc- tors at the Gozo hospital con- sistently resist accompanying patients to Malta and that nurs- es are left exposed to legal and professional consequences if something goes wrong during transfers. "Transferring critically ill pa- tients with nurse-only accom- paniment is not only unsafe — it is reckless," MUMN said, arguing that in the event of a patient's death during transfer, nurses risk suspension, investi- gation and the loss of their pro- fessional warrant. The statement contrasts this with what the union described as a "two-tier system", alleging that doctors are shielded from accountability even in cases of fatal error. It cited the death of Carmelo Fino, an elderly man with dementia who wandered out of St Vincent de Paul, saying the episode undermined nurses' trust in the health minister. MUMN also criticised a standard operating procedure governing transfers at Gozo General Hospital, saying it was drafted by doctors without for- mal approval from management and without consultation with the union, despite the legal im- plications for nurses. The union called on the health minister to take "immediate, decisive action" to ensure safe patient transfers and warned against waiting for a fatal inci- dent before intervening. It said it will request an urgent meet- ing with the ministry, insisting the current situation cannot be allowed to continue. The Gozo General Hospital (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) Third phase of the Oncology outreach service to launch in Gozo