Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/751614
2 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 2016 News PN: Treatment of patients with expired meds is 'shocking' TIM DIACONO SHADOW health minister Clau- dette Buttigieg took the govern- ment to task in the wake of reve- lations that at least three patients were given expired Tamif lu med- ication at Mater Dei. Buttigieg told a press confer- ence that the news was "shock- ing" and served to highlight how "the corrupt clique that runs the country is detached from every- day realities." "We are talking here about ITU patients, people who were fight- ing for their lives," she said. "It is shocking that they were given ex- pired medicine and it casts doubt on how the government treats and dignifies patients in their most vulnerable moments." Health minister Chris Fearne has ordered an internal inquiry to determine whether any mal- practice had occurred, but said that it is accepted general prac- tice in healthcare to use reserve stock in the case of a shortfall in ready supply, in cases of emer- gencies. "The government's policy is to not use expired medicine, but there have been cases around the world, including in Malta, where expired medicine was used with no detriment to patients' health." He had said that Mater Dei's pharmacy had ordered a large stock of Tamif lu – an antiviral medicine for treatment of f lu - in 2009, in the wake of fears over a swine f lu epidemic, and that it now has an unused stock worth around €600,000. Therefore pa- tients who require Tamif lu are now being administered medi- cine from that unused stock. However, Buttigieg questioned why Fearne ordered an inquiry in the first place if issuing expired Tamif lu was in fact common practice, and suggested that the medicine could have been ex- pired for much longer than it was supposed to be or else stored in the wrong conditions. She also warned that expired medicines don't light up on the hospital's system for out-of-stock medi- cines, and questioned whether the current lack of out-of-stock medicines was the result of the usage of expired ones on patients. "The fact that Fearne ordered an inquiry is a sign that some- thing wasn't right here," she said, while insisting that the minister must shoulder political responsi- bility as Mater Dei falls under his watch. Shadow health minister Claudette Buttigieg took the government to task in the wake of revelations that were given expired Tamiflu €800 fine and suspended sentence for man who swore at police MAT THEW AGIUS A 22-year-old British national resident of Sliema has been handed a suspended sentence after he threatened and diso- beyed police officers who re- sponded to a report of a do- mestic disturbance. Inspector Lara Butters yes- terday told magistrate Josette Demicoli how Police were called to a residence at Guze Howard Street in Sliema on monday at around 3:30 pm af- ter an argument between two roommates got out of hand. Officers arriving at the scene were verbally abused by the accused, Maximiliano Ingall, said the inspector, and were called a number of colourful names. Despite their efforts to calm the situation down, Ingall became aggressive and was arrested. He resisted the arrest and continued to hurl a selection of choice insults at the officers, while aiming kicks at items in the residence. The front door and a cupboard were damaged by the accused, the court heard. The man was charged with threatening police officers, causing damage to third party property, disobeying lawful orders made by a police of- ficer, insulting and threaten- ing police and breaching the peace. Ingall 's South African girl- friend was summoned to the witness stand to testif y. She dismissed the incident, ex- plaining that she had never pressed charges against her boyfriend. "Yesterday (Mon- day) it was just a heated argu- ment between me and Max. It was over before it even start- ed." Law yer Noel Bartolo, ap- pearing as legal aid to the ac- cused, told the court that the accused was pleading guilty to the charges. Ingall was handed a four- month prison sentence sus- pended for 18 months, togeth- er with an €800 fine which he was given six months to pay. Failure to pay fine would re- sult in his imprisonment, the magistrate warned.