News | Sunday, 10 January 2010

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PM’s right-hand man eyeing more control on health, social policy

Clyd Puli is expected to take social policy, while Joe Cassar will get the Health Ministry – Edgar Galea Curmi is expected to take greater control of these two portfolios.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is being urged to slice the super-ministry of Health, Community Care and the Elderly into two separate ministries with Gonzi loyalist Clyde Puli, currently the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sports, earmarked for the Social Policy Ministry, while the present Parliamentary Secretary for Health Joe Cassar could be expected to get his own ministry for health.
While the two ministries will appear as separate entities unto their own, MaltaToday understands that the appointment of these specific politicians will ensure that Gonzi’s personal assistant Edgar Galea Curmi, will directly supervise the running of these two ministries.
As Gonzi loyalists, Puli and Cassar have little or no inclination in rocking the boat and can be trusted to work well with Galea Curmi.
MaltaToday is also informed that two parliamentary secretaries are also likely be appointed within the Office of the Prime Minister, with MPs Beppe Fenech Adami Jean Pierre Farrugia being touted for the posts. The former is a strong candidate for junior minister, thanks to his popularity inside the PN, while the latter is one of the more palatable members from an otherwise rebellious backbench.
Galea Curmi – a social worker by profession – is renowned for his zeal over health and social policy. Even senior members of staff at Mater Dei enjoy his patronage. But he has also been taken to task by outgoing social policy minister John Dalli for bypassing him when dealing with health matters.
The PM’s right-hand man was instrumental in finalising collective agreements with healthcare unions prior to the 2008 general election, which have also come under fire for being unsustainable in the light of limited health budgets.
Even many of the decisions concerning the €2 million direct orders issued to a private security firm before the opening of Mater Dei were awarded under approval of Galea Curmi.
In the final days before the finalisation of Mater Dei’s construction, Galea Curmi was crucial in sidelining health minister Louis Deguara by sectioning off the Foundation of Medical Services – then responsible for the hospital’s completion – and placing it under the stewardship of the Prime Minister and his parliamentary secretary for finance, Tonio Fenech.
With John Dalli’s imminent departure to Brussels to take up the role of European Commissioner, the new health minister will have to look at integrating full-time surgeons and doctors in the NHS, and look into the failure of the Pharmacy Of Your Choice and plans for the direct procurement of medicines.

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