High-risk patients not being monitored due to nurses shortage

A magisterial inquiry was ordered earlier this year by the hospital authorities following an incident leading to the death of a patient. However, the holding of the inquiry and its results were not made public by the health authorities and information only started coming out yesterday after questions raised by this newspaper. In e-mail correspondence seen by The Sunday Times of Malta, Mater Dei Hospital’s Clinical Director Joseph Zarb Adami last month informed heads of department that following “an incident leading to the death of a patient” he found it necessary “to emphasise that several hours after patients return to ward and before the night steps in, all patients recovering from major surgery should be reassessed by the on-duty team to ensure that no major deterioration has taken place since the transfer from theatre.” In his correspondence, Dr Zarb Adami also revealed that currently, high-risk patients requiring continuous monitoring after major surgery are not being given the adequate attention due to the shortage of nurses. “Whilst I agree that high risk patients should be cohorted to High Dependency Units (HDUs), this at the moment is not happening due to shortage of...