Friday 2 October 2009

Can Gozitans tolerate even more deaths due to lack of health services?


Unfortunately, tragic events also take place in Gozo, where patients need to be rapidly transferred directly to Mater Dei by emergency helicopter.

But since the Gozo General Hospital does not host such a helicopter service, patients in Gozo have to wait for the helicopter to arrive from Malta before transfer to Mater Dei for medical treatment unavailable in Gozo. This takes time, in circumstances, where seconds can make the difference between life and death.

It is unacceptable that all the health services helicopters are stationed in the island of Malta when they are also needed in Gozo. If at least one helicopter were stationed in Gozo, it could just as easily take off from Gozo to meet medical needs in Malta within the same time frame, if not faster.

But we seem to be a tolerant community... we even tolerate deaths due lack of such services and people seem to continue to accept the things the way they are. Fear of change and of the unknown has enslaved us to even this extreme extent.