Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/860911
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 AUGUST 2017 Opinion 24 Malta's medical brain drain to the United Kingdom last year reached its highest ever rate, according to the Brit- ish General Medical Council register, with 55 doctors registering in the UK. The figure increased over the 39 doc- tors registered in 2004, who received their primary medical qualification in Malta; and 32 who registered in 2003. Between 2000 and 2006, 211 Maltese graduates went to work in the UK, at- tracted by better wages and conditions with the national health service and private hospitals. The British NHS has become one of the most attractive medical centres for medi- cal graduates from EU member states. Polish doctors on their own have migrated in their hundreds to the UK since EU accession: while only 19 Polish doctors registered in the UK in 2002, the figure shot up to 500 in 2003, and then increased to 744 in 2004. By far, the highest number of foreign- qualified doctors in the British NHS are from India and Pakistan. From within the EU, Italy, Greece, Ger- many and the Czech Republic 'export' the greatest number of doctors to the UK after Poland. The Medical Association of Malta has already stated that as much as 70 per cent of new doctors graduating from the University of Malta have left the island to work in the USA, the UK and Australia. Many of the men and women being trained to diagnose and treat the nation's illnesses claim there is nothing paying them well enough to work on the island. Many complain they are finding it hard to cope with a growing demand for their services and 60 to 70-hour weeks while authorities insist that health centre doc- tors should see one patient every four minutes. A study on job satisfaction among the NHS's general practitioners in Malta also revealed poor levels of satisfaction among doctors, citing poor pay and career progression as reasons for their disgrun- tlement. The survey by Dr Mario Sammut, published in the Malta Medical Journal, showed 41 per cent of GPs felt "unap- preciated, neglected and disrespected", 39 per cent experiencing job dissatisfaction, stress and depression, while 31 per cent felt verbally and physically used, misused and abused. Doctors complained patients are disre- spectful to the profession, the adminis- tration uncaring and indifferent to their opinion, and they also accused colleagues of "selfishness, side-kicking, and making obstacles". Medical brain drain to UK reaches highest levels News – 15 August, 2007 Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Choosing new PN leader wisely In view of the upcoming leader- ship elections, I find it impera- tive to speak up on behalf of many of us who have no vote in the PN structures. Although as a general rule, the leaders elected over the past decades have never gone against the majority's wishes, I suspect that a certain level of euphoria and ill-guided decision-making will cloud the judgement of many this time around. With all due respect to Frank Portelli, this contest should see Chris Said and Adrian Delia pitted against each other in the final round, although Alex Perici Calascione should give the lat- ter a run for his money on the podium. I believe that the desire for a "fresh face" and a "new way of doing politics" is in fact a good one – with the right candidate. Delia promises a lot but has no beef to back it up with, no expe- rience, no tangible proof that the next four years will be a success and nothing to indicate that La- bour will be offered a challenge come election time. I believe that Chris Said is an adventurous albeit safer option. He knows the party structures, knows what it takes to stop work in Opposition and has also won his contests, both on a personal level as well as on a national scale over the years. Said has also shown time and time again that he is not a conservative one- minded person, with the right respect to values that one would expect from a person is such a high position. Let us choose wisely and realise the importance of such decisions. The pros and cons stacked up against each other should make this decision more straightforward than some have expected. Lina Vella Sliema Although I am not a paid-up member of the PN, I have been following the leadership contest closely, probably for lack of anything of the slightest interest happening anywhere. I think that all four contest- ants have a lot to offer the PN – although Frank Portelli seems to be too set in his old ways to see the need for change. But at the same time, I wonder if any of the four actually represent a viable change, or renewal, for the PN. Chris Said and Alex Perici Calascione have to own up to being – in varying capacities – part of the team that regis- tered two consecutive election landslides. Portelli too brings his own political baggage. Delia does not, but he too is not mak- ing the members' decision any easier, especially by his refusal to publish a declaration of as- sets until elected leader. That alone should be mak- ing the party's tesserati raise an eyebrow, since it might imply he is not fully convinced of his deci- sion to contest the election. To me, it's as though he's sitting on the fence, hedging his bets as to what the party members 'need' to choose him to replace Busuttil. I have some other concerns. Others have already suggested that the members should have been given a chance to vote at all stages of the process. That argu- ment has already been discussed ad nauseam. But what I have yet to hear Delia, Perici Calascione and Portelli state officially is whose parliamentary seat they intend to take when elected, since they would also become leader of the opposition. No one has as yet come forward to say they would be willing to give up their seat if so-and-so is elected. Once again, party members are being denied the full picture. What if PN members who chose to elect Mr X to parlia- ment do not approve of his giving up his seat for any of the candidates? Shouldn't they have a say too? Does it not make sense to have all candidates disclose all pertinent information, if the members are to make a truly informed decision on the 2nd and 16th September? Or is it that they don't because it would not be in their best interests? Mario Sammut Lija