Elderly people and hospital patients confined to their beds in the deadly heat – especially those who are totally dependent on others – appear to be the main victims of industrial action ordered by the General Workers’ Union among nursing aides and care workers claiming better working conditions.

For the union, “it is inevitable that someone is hit by industrial action”; but as the impasse resumed on Friday after a temporary return to work last week, there is practically no one left to help with washing the patients, changing their nappies and helping them in and out of bed. The situation is so bad that Health Minister Louis Deguara made an urgent appeal Friday to the public and patients’ relatives to help out… but what about those who have no living family members or members who no longer live on the Maltese islands?

With the workload increased, nurses are feeling the pressure and one place which has been heavily impacted by this action is St Vincent De Paule residence in Luqa.

According to the secretary general of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, Colin Galea, there is an average of two nurses attending every ward at the home for the elderly.

“Private contractors are being employed to provide care workers to do the same work as nursing aides because the government has stopped recruiting nursing aides,” he said.

There are currently two private contractors and a tender being submitted for a third, but they cannot always meet the demands asked by managements since there is a shortage of care workers available.

The problem is exacerbated further by the ongoing heat wave which makes things worse for bed-ridden and the sick, amidst claims of heat fatalities at St Vincent de Paule.

“These directives given by the union are not appropriate since it is individuals, and patients who are suffering,” Deguara said Friday. “I also appeal to family members to be patient until this action has ended and to not be upset with nurses attending to patients since they are doing as best they can to supply a good service and keep patients in as much comfort as possible.”

Far from migrating to Mater Dei, it is now a question of finding who is going to help these most vulnerable people out of their beds, until the union decides otherwise.

www.maltatoday.com.mt/ 2007/07/08/n6.html