‘Negligence In Healthcare’: Mark Anthony Sammut Speaks Out On Bad Quality Feeds Causing Severe Weight Loss
Nationalist MP Mark Anthony Sammut spoke out about the “negligence in the healthcare system” after meeting with families whose children have disabilities and rely on enteral feeds for their sole, daily nutrition.
“After a few weeks, many of them started to notice their children were losing weight,” he wrote on social media.
Sammut explained that last week, he met with two families whose children have severe disabilities that prevent them from eating food normally. Because of this, they rely on receiving food in the form of liquid or shakes through a tube to their stomach.
“So, their nutrition relies solely on liquids or specially prepared shakes.”
However, a few months ago, the government changed the shake that it was providing for free to these individuals both at hospital and through the Pharmacy-Of-Your-Choice scheme (POYC), the new brand was EnergieShake.
Yet, this was withdrawn from the hospital by the Health Ministry and in liaison with the company that accepted and was replacing the damaged stock, the Department of Public Health told Lovin Malta.
“Although no official adverse reports regarding health issues were received, patient safety is the mainstay.”
Moreover, Sammut explained that after a few weeks, these families noticed their children losing weight and backtracked, noting that this started when the feed was changed.
“For some of these patients, the weight loss was so severe that it also led to the development of injuries (bedsores),” he continued.
“After many questions, letters, emails, and running from pillar to post, they found out that the government itself had withdrawn this particular shake from the hospital because it realised it was not suitable.”
“And what was not suitable for the hospital patients was given to the patients who get their shake from the pharmacies through the POYC.”
“It boils my blood to see such negligence in healthcare, especially with such vulnerable individuals, and to remember the millions wasted on vanity and corruption.”
The ministry told the newsroom that a “precautionary quarantine was issued addressing the defaulting supplier through regulatory authorities with two specific batches that are being withdrawn from the market. The Department of Health has also processed an urgent order for an alternative product to safeguard the well-being of the client.”
Moreover, we received reports from families affected by this issue who maintain that there has been no alternative offered through POYC, nor have authorities gone to retrieve the faulty batches from the homes that bought them.
This means that the outpatients would have to either pay for a better quality feed – which costs hundreds of euros – stay on the damaged feeds and risk more weight loss and risks to their health – or go and stay at Mater Dei until the issue is resolved.
A Maltese doctor has even started a petition for POYC to offer an alternative feed – this is allegedly in the process.
His petition has received 469 signatures so far.
Have you or a loved one been affected by this issue? Reach out to [email protected] to share your story
READ NEXT: Watch: Politicians Must ‘Take Accountability’ For Mistakes Before Rejoining Politics, Labour Party CEO Says
