The Nationalist Party (PN) has welcomed the announcement that the national health service will begin offering egg and sperm freezing for later use in IVF treatments, but expressed concern that “no consultation whatsoever was held with professionals and experts” before the measure was announced. PN Leader Alex Borg, accompanied by Shadow Minister for Health Stephen Spiteri, made the remarks during a visit to St Thomas Hospital in Qormi, where they were received by Director Dr Louis Buhagiar. Borg criticised the Government for repeating what happened “with the recent increases in the tariffs for the registration of medicines,” when consultants were left out of the process. He also questioned the criteria used to restrict access to those aged 18 to 34, noting that the need for such services “tends to increase with age,” and asked whether Mater Dei Hospital is adequately equipped to sustain such a service.
During the visit, the PN delegation toured the Emergency and Radiology Departments and discussed the hospital’s expansion, which will add more to its existing 30 beds. St Thomas Hospital also announced that its Emergency Department will begin offering a 24/7 service, following an earlier agreement for private hospitals to handle non-critical emergency cases. The Opposition and hospital management agreed that public-private healthcare partnerships must be structured and permanent, not solely emergency responses, and highlighted ongoing challenges including population growth, the need for a second hospital, and the fallout from the Vitals and Steward saga. Borg also reiterated the PN proposal for part of National Insurance contributions to fund access to private healthcare under a future PN Government.
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