Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544097
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 MARCH 2026 Dragging mental health out of the shadows helps us be honest about Mount Carmel Editorial MENTAL health is one of those areas in public policy that lingers in the shadows. More often than not, it is not the patients themselves or their rela- tives that directly raise concerns but third parties and journalists. Writing in MaltaToday, academ- ic Andrew Azzopardi does just that with a reflec- tive piece on an email exchange he had over the past couple of months with the chief executive of the National Mental Health Services, Roseanne Camilleri. Azzopardi lifts the lid on what he describes as the "distance" that still exists between public concern and official reassurance when it comes to mental health services. His reflection focusses on Mount Carmel Hospital and the deficiencies that persist. It is the stigma surrounding mental health that often keeps users of these services and their rel- atives on the side lines of the debate. This means there is less public scrutiny of such services, mak- ing it convenient for the authorities to overlook the problems. This does not mean the mental health sector has been abandoned. But it needs a concerted focus, constant attention and sustained investment in physical and human resources. Indeed, an in-depth fact-check of investments and promises made by the government in the mental health sector, carried out last November by Amphora Media, concluded that "although a reform has been taking place and resources have increased, the impacts fall short of a fully fledged transformation". The organisation concluded that the claim that mental health services have under- gone a transformation was only "somewhat true". Admittedly, many individuals experiencing mental health problems do not seek help or find it financially daunting but the public healthcare system is still not addressing key gaps such as the complex needs of substance abuse addicts, migrant communities, loneliness among adolescents and elderly people. Mount Carmel Hospital, an aged building that re- mains Malta's main acute psychiatric care facility, is a crucial cog in the wider mental health ecosys- tem. Roseanne Camilleri's overall response to Andrew Azzopardi's questions suggests that a lot has been done and still more is in the pipeline to transform Mount Carmel and ensure patients there receive the best care possible. Azzopardi contends otherwise. At least three wards were closed after he started raising ques- tions about the lived experience of patients. We understand that some of the problems at Mount Carmel are legacy issues that cannot be solved overnight. But we also know that plans for Mount Carmel have been changing with every new health minister, who comes along, raising doubts as to whether investing in mental health is a prior- ity. We trust that Health Minister Jo Etienne Ab- ela is committed to the cause but we only hope he stays the course. There is, however, a reality that will continue to dog Malta's healthcare system for years to come. When the government hooked its national health- care reform to the Vitals-Steward hospitals deal it forfeited the necessary investment in healthcare infrastructure on the premise this would come from the private sector. When the deal went belly up and none of the promised investment—a state- of-the-art hospital in Gozo; a refurbished St Luke's Hospital to cater for tourists seeking medical in- terventions in Malta and providing extra bed space for public exigencies; a refurbished Karen Grech Rehabilitation Hospital—happened, the country was left with a gaping hole. And now, we are trying to catch up with the failures of the past decade. Why is this relevant? It justifies today's scepti- cism and confirms the conclusion reached by the International Chamber of Commerce Tribunal last year that the biggest losers from the failed hospi- tals deal were Maltese patients. It is a prime exam- ple of corruption hurting innocent bystanders. But this is no consolation for today's patients and relatives. Andrew Azzopardi rightly points out that "promises of future tenders and phased works do not always reassure families and patients worried about conditions today". At the end of the day, what counts are results and Mount Carmel Hospital has very often fallen short on these. Unfortunately, stigma produces shame and shame favours complacency and lethargy, which is why it remains necessary to drag mental health is- sues out of the shadows and into the spotlight. On- ly then can the conversations that need to happen be held in public and with honesty… even about the physical state and services offered at Mount Carmel Hospital. Quote of the Week "Clyde Caruana was the person who led Jobsplus and who chose, alongside Joseph Muscat, to base our economic growth on foreign labour imports." –– PN leader Alex Borg on TVM's Xtra, casting doubt on Finance Minister Clyde Caruana's credibility, while expressing full trust in his party's finance spokesperson, Adrian Delia. MaltaToday 10 years ago Broadcasting Authority chair stands down after lengthy standoff with employees 29 March 2016 BROADCASTING Authority chairperson Tanya Borg Cardona resigned after an eight- week standoff with employees, who said she was not suitable for the job and accused her of bullying. Borg Cardona's resignation was confirmed by the Office of the Prime Minister, which in a statement said that her resignation letter had been handed to President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. Exiting the BA premises in Ħamrun after a lengthy board meeting yesterday afternoon, Borg Cardona and other board members re- fused to give any comments to reporters who were waiting outside the building. The meeting took place while the author- ity's workers walked out of the offices in protest, as the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin (UHM) reiterated that Borg Cardona should either step down or be removed by the Prime Minister. Asked whether the board had discussed her position in light of the industrial action launched by the workers, Borg Cardona said she had no comments to give. [...] At the end of the day, what counts are results and Mount Carmel Hospital has very often fallen short on these