Crisis: Malta lacks nurses amid pandemic

LA VALETA.- The Nurses Union Malta warned its hospitals, under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic, were facing a staffing crisisas the UK has attracted a growing number of foreign nurses from the island nation, with offers of better pay and terms.

Some 600 foreign nurses work in Malta, but around 150 have moved abroad or resigned since Decemberunion sources said.

“It’s a crisis”The Maltese Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) said in a statement.

Other countries in southern Europe have complained of nursing shortages during the coronavirus pandemic, while richer countries in the north may offer better conditions.

Foreign workers, including Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos, make up around 15% of the total nursing workforce in Malta and the fact that they speak English makes them particularly attractive in the UK and Ireland.

Recruitment agencies in the UK and India have posted ads on Facebook urging Maltese nurses to apply for jobs in the UK.

Nursing industry sources said nurses were offered a base starting salary of £ 32,000 or € 36,000 ($ 44,500), compared to Malta’s current salary of € 18,722 for nurses in training. and € 21,000 for qualified nurses.

But the nurses’ union said better conditions instead of higher wages have proved particularly attractive, in particular the provision of faster pathways to citizenship for themselves and their families. In addition, UK offers free accommodation for foreign nurses for the first 12 monthsMUMN remarked.

“The current nurses are already working under a heavy workload, with none of the departments (…) having the agreed nurses,” Nurses Union leader Paul Pace said in a statement. “The loss of 15% of the nursing workforce will literally paralyze the health service”.

The union said it would meet with the government and the state agency responsible for issuing residence permits to try to keep foreign nurses in Malta.

Reuters Agency

THE NATION

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