The health politics in Malta : the human resources perspective

Abstract

This essay takes a close look at the human resources situation in the local health scenario, with particular emphasis to the medical profession - the doctors. It studies the current condition of the sector's workforce, including the trends, highlighting some of the 'theoretical' 'claimed reasons for the situation, such as the brain drain phenomenon and the exodus of trained health care professionals abroad. The demands on an ever-increasing work load on the workforce itself and the evolving working conditions are discussed. An analysis of the latest statistics is also carried out. The views of the stakeholders - including politicians, administrators and the unions are also discussed. The project concludes with some recommendations that the Government and administrative partners could utilise to address the situation.